Infection: Antidote
by ForevermoreAlizabeth
Summary: With an antidote and a cause, Ann tries to work her way into society, to finally do something good. But when past demons return with a vengeance, and new threats laying in the woodwork, can Ann's life change for the better, or is she destined to be stuck in her past mistakes? With the help of two die-hard friends, she's about to give her future a fighting chance.
1. Chapter 1

_-To all those still following this series, thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy it! It picks up in the City of Hector, which is where Osmosis and Drix ended up during the Television Series. Leave me any suggestions or criticisms in the review box and I promise to read each of them! Thank you again, and I love you all-_

_-Osmosis Jones-_

"Drix! Now!"I shouted, car-surfin' on the hood of Tape Worm's get-away car, hanging onto the roof for my fine life as he tried to throw me, leading us right where I expected.

"You got it, Jones!"Drix shouted from in front of us, hidden in one of the surprisingly-clean alleys in Downtown Hector.

"Hey! Gettofa my ride, Immunity, or you'll end up under it!"The rough and gruff voice of Tape Worm shouted below me, the bulky, in-need-of-a-serious-diet-plan man shouted behind the wheel, veering left and right as I blocked his view from the road ahead of him, fingers digging into the pliable roof of the car.

"Don't think so, Tapey!"I exclaimed, looking back as, from out of the alley of a pristine, clean apartement complex, a sticky-lookin' blue glue slapped across the intersection, in a line on the ground and wiggling on impact. "Your ride's just about up! The fat lady has sung! Say 'Asta la Vista' germy! No one can take down the hansome, devilish charm of-"

"Jones! Just get off the car!"Drix ruined my groove, deflating me as I glared at the spot we were rapidly approaching. Man, I was just gettin' to the good part! Leave it to the pill to ruin my fun. I turned nonetheless and, tucking and rolling, jumped from the hood of the car. I landed smoothly, rolling to my feet and quickly turning around, seeing Tape's eyes widen as he screamed, trying to get the car to stop, only to swing it around and trap the back tires right into the ooey-gooey trap!

"Wha-what's the big idea?!"Tape exclaimed, Drix suddenly appearing from the alley and pointing his gun-hand through the open passenger window, the gun streaching the window like he streached my own ride. He had a big smile on his face, Tape's eyes going wider now as he froze, starring down the barrel of that big-mother gun!

I slid smoothly around the front of the now-backwards car, leaning into the driver's window and smirking confidently, knowing we'd just taken down our second Strepfinger croonie in a month! With my expertise planning, of course.

"Ohh, you might wanna just stop drop and roll, cuz this pill's trigger finger is _hot_!"I exclaimed, winking at Drix, who smirked back and spun the outer holster of the gun, Tape Worm shaking like a cell on sugar! I waited, just a few more moments as Drix opened his chest and inched his hand warningly towards a red pill cargrage, Tape getting more and more on-edge, before he finally cracked.

"S-stop! Okay! Okay! I-I surrender, just keep that guy away from me!"He exclaimed, throwing his hands up and dropping his gun, just as sounds of wailing police sirens approached. The cars screeched around the corner, lights flashing as I threw open the door to Tape's car and pulled him out by his greasy leather jacket, an 'oof' coming from him. I grinned, swelling in pride as the other cops exited their cars and pulled their guns, Chief amoung them.

He looked a hell of a lot like the old chief, if not only slightly slimmer with a bigger mustache. Seriously, it was like talkin' to a walrus cell! He strutted up as I held out my hand, smirking and saying smoothly,

"Don't worry, Chiefy, I've got this all under control!"

"You?"Drix asked testily, floating around on his bubble-but and closing his chest drawr, just as two rookie officers picked Tape up from me and began to drag him over to the waiting battilion of police cars.

"Okay,"I agreed, pointing to Drix, "Drix here helped a little I guess."

"A little? I saved your cytoplasm twice! If it weren't for me, you would still be wrapped around that stop sign!"He exclaimed, mentioning when I totally had everything under control, just might have slipped a little jumping out of my car to get onto Tape's. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms as Drix did the same, Chief watching and sighing.

"Listen you two, go to couple's counseling later! Mayor Spryman wants to see both of you, in his office, immediatly!"He snapped at us like a drill sargent, a smile on my face despite that.

"Aww, I bet he wants to congradulate us! C'mon Drips, let's head on over to the small-fry's office!"I exclaimed, walking smoothly past Chief and the other police cars, Drix following close by. Whatever it was the mayor wanted to see us about, probably our excellence lately in backing the major crime boss in the City of Hector, Strepfinger, back into a corner. We'd taken out three of his guys, but they just seemed to keep on coming, and if we didn't find the big papa himself then who knows what kind of havoc he could wreak in Hector!

It spit sure better not be to try and take our credit, like he always seemed to do, that sneaky little punk. Spit, he almost made Mayor Phlemming look half-decent! At least Phlemming hit puberty, unlike Spryman, who couldn't be a day over thirteen, tops!

"Jones, what do you think the Mayor wants to see us for? He doesn't usually call this early in the morning. Hector hasn't even had lunch yet!"Drix exclaimed as he squeezed into my baby, blasting down the shiny-clean streets of Hector the second he got seated.

"Don't know, but if that teeny-bopper wants to try and steal my thunder again I'll show him a thing or two about Osmosis!"I exclaimed, looking through my cd collection in the holder that sat between me and Drix, looking for my favorite James Brown CD. I swerved a bit on the road, nothin' too big, but Drix freaked out like always.

"Jones! Keep your eyes on the road!"He scolded, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm lookin' for James Brown! Help out!"I shouted back, steering onto the highway as Drix sighed and began to rifle through with me. After a few minutes, he picked one out, looking at it for a moment before saying in a slightly surprised, happy tone,

"Hey, isn't this the CD we listened to the first night we met Ann?" That name instantly had an effect on me, both good and bad. I smiled at the memory, almost feeling a little groove in my system as I remembered that one-of-a-kind virus, the same one that got me back on the right beat in Immunity back in Frank, the...just all around awesome chick that I longed to see again. I mean, damn, it had been almost a year and a half since the last time I saw that girl!

And then, the same troubling thought that I'd been thinking since we got accidentally sent over here ran through my head, and was voice by Drix.

"Jones...do you think Ann will be able to find us in Hector?"He asked curiously, placing the CD back in the case and letting us just drive in silence. I felt something like a painful worry in my chest, knowing that, probably no, Ann girl couldn't possibly know how to find us. I mean, even if she could find Frank again, none of them even knew what happened to us!

That mosquito bite, Drix and I being in the wrong place at the wrong time, had transferred us to Hector almost a year ago! And while we'd made a big detective name for ourselves here, it couldn't be known all the way in wherever Frank had gone. That thought alone was enough to deflate my spirits as I mused out sadly, sitting back in my seat as we swung into the parking lot in front of the Mayor's building,

"I don't know, Drix...I just don't know."

We quickly jumped from the car and made our way inside, where a certain Immunity babe was waiting for us, lookin' fine as ever and immediatly lifting my spirits.

"Maria Amino, girl, you been workin' out-?"I was cut off as Drix pushed past me, Maria rolling her eyes and fixing her large, blue ponytail.

"Working out how the mayor keeps you on Immunity, Jones."She clipped out in a sexy spanish accent, Drix smirking a bit and musing,

"Believe me, I still haven't figured out how he was ever on Immunity in Frank." They shared their little laugh together, Maria high-fiving Drix and smirking at me as I pouted sourly, crossing my arms and mummbling,

"I caught a bad guy today." Maria laughed again and rolled her eyes, placing a hand on my shoulder, giving me a rough shake that this karate-cat probably thought was light as a feather, not saying that she was stronger than me by any means! I mean, yeah, the chick could fight, but no one beats Osmosis in a good down-and-dirty street fight! And I'd be fine with havin' one of those with this south-of-the-border beauty.

"Yes you did, good boy. I'll get you a sticker later, now let's get up to the mayor. Something's up with him today, and I sure hope it wasn't you, Jones."She mused, turning and pressing the button panel behind her, opening the elevator in the all-blue lobby, stepping inside with her as I exclaimed,

"Yo, why can't it be Drix, huh? He messes up pleanty of times!"

"Please, Drix might be the most capable cop _in _Hector."Maria retorted, crossing her arms as the big lug got a surprised look on his face and, like the awkward duckling he was, stuttered out,

"W-well...um, thank you Maria. Though I must admit, your fighting skills are rivaled by no one!" I gaped, looking at the two incredolously. What was I, chopped thykaloid? Please, if it weren't for me these two would be...reletively worse off! Yeah, that's right, I'm that extra push they needed! Uh huh, just go on with your little love-fest, Osmosis Jones is just gonna sit back and wait for the real danger! Then they'd know who's the best cop in Hector...

"WHERE'S JONES?! GET HIM HERE IMMEDIATLY!"Daaaang! Mayor Spryman must be goin' through a serious case of Man-period, cuz he sounded _pissed_. I heard his annoying, pre-deep voice crack and shout before the doors that led straight to his office opened, revealing three dishevevled 'scientists'(guys who obeyed Spryman's every whim, barely ever doing anything actually helpful) and one seriously boiling mayor.

"Yo, Spry, take a chill pill man! Osmosis Jones, capable officer and ladies man, at your service."I smoothed out, walking up from where the elevators let out to the left of the mayor's desk, walking right to the front of the large oak desk and smirking. The mayor, a scrawny 13-year-old white-blood cell with a tuft of hair on his head and too-big-for him white dress shirt and black pants, looked more disheveled and angry than normal when he called me in to his office.

"Cut it Jones! I've got a question for you!"He shouted angrily, Drix and Maria walking up on either side of me. I raised an eyebrow, wondering what it was that I could have done wrong.

"You weren't in your designated area of restriction twenty minutes ago, care to tell me why?!"He shouted. Now he was keeping tabs on me? Man, this relationship was movin' too fast! I instantly got defensive, throwing my arms out and exclaiming,

"Yo, I was bustin' another one of Strepfinger's croonies! If it weren't for me and Drix here he would have gotten away with vital protein-support from the mitochondria bank! Sorry if he made me trail him halfway across Hector!"

"That's not the issue here, Jones!"The little punk shouted, shoving a finger in my face as he leaned over on his desk, "The issue is that you weren't there when an unknown substance was injected into Hector's right arm!" I paused, surprised for a second. If it were an unknown substance, that meant that the scientists over there still hadn't figured it out, and if there was one thing they were good at it was identifying things.

"Well, is it dangerous?"Maria asked, and the mayor paused a second, looking almost a bit embarrased and surprised.

"Uh...well...I don't know."

"Is it hurting anyone? Does it have anthrapamorphic characteristics?"Drix asked, using a big word no one understood, especially not the mayor, who gave him a confused look. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms and asking,

"Is it a germ or dangerous bacteria? Yet another case for good 'ol Osmosis Jones?" The mayor now stood back behind his desk, no longer leaning over it, and said while scratching the back of his head,

"Uh...no. No it's not." This was getting pointless! If it weren't dangerous, person-like, or deadly, then why was he so uptight about me not being there?!

"Then what's the big deal, Spry?"I exclaimed, and he frowned angrily.

"Because you weren't there when they had to transport this stuff! It took two whole trips!"He exclaimed, and I just frowned at him. I didn't say a word, just seethed in how ridiculous this kid's mind was.

"Mayor, if you don't mind, what does the substance look like?"Drix asked, taking pressure off me. The mayor immediatly threw open a drawr and pulled something out, slappping it down on the desk and making me recoil to avoid getting that nasty-looking, gelatenous blob he'd pulled out on my jacket.

"Eww! Nas-tay! What is that, a giant white booger?"I asked, looking at the glue-like, slowly wobbling blob about the size of two fists on the desk.

"Looks like glue to me. Why would something like this be injected into Hector?"Maria asked curiously, getting closer to inspect it.

"I don't know! And these guys can't figure it out!"Spryman exclaimed acusingly, pointing a thumb back at the trio of white-coat wearing, glasses-sporting nit-wits, who immediatly looked surprised and afraid of the wrath of our rather unstable mayor.

"Hmm, it doesn't appear to be a fat-storage cell, nor cholesterol. If it were injected into Hector, it can't possibly be glue."Drix mummbled all serious-like to himself, a hand on what I assumed was his chin as he, too, got closer to the gooey stuff that I was keeping well-away from, behind both Drix and Maria. The mayor slumped back into this rolley, high-backed, blue chair, pouting like a brat and throwing his hands up,

"I just don't know! What _is _this stuff?!"

"It's an antidote."

_~Ann~_

A year and a half can really change a person...

Or keep them exactly the same, as seemed to be the case with Ozzy and Drix as they argued with their mayor, me keeping a calm and silent position behind a statue of their founder, a sperm, located in the very back of the room. I crossed my arms, looking at the two that hadn't changed, not one bit, and taking every ounce of will power I had not to rush out and tackle them both.

Ever since that day that I left Frank, all I could do was think about them, about how we could be a team once the people finally managed to get an antidote together. They'd been working on one ever since Thrax and I killed our tenth person, but it was taking longer than expected for them to actually come up with an antidote when they didn't even know the disease.

One and a half years. One and a half years of secretly keeping track of Frank, watching him to make sure he was okay, while simultaniously keeping a very safe distance and wrestling with my own inner turmoil. To be honest, being with the guys would have it a hell of a lot easier to forget Thrax, but even still I managed to overcome most of my obsticles. Had time to think things over, to actually sit down and realize that...I'd wasted so much of my life, just doing what Thrax wanted to do, never really living for myself.

Him smacking me didn't hurt the healing process, either. Thrax was trickey, that I knew, and I'd watched him manipulate people my whole life. Never guessed he'd be able to do it to me, too, until I realized he'd been using me. Luckily, it took two amazing Immunity cops to show me at least some of this. And what I couldn't get over, those lingering emotions that wouldn't seem to leave, I'd found another outlet for them...

"Hmm, it doesn't appear to be a fat-storage cell, nor cholesterol. If it were injected into Hector, it can't possibly be glue."Drix muttered, just like he used to, in a very serious and to-the-book manner. And there Ozzy went, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms, and yet I noticed he was staying well-away from the white substance that I'd watched being injected into Hector.

Yes, I'd watched, and I'd relished in the moment like it were the most important thing that would ever happen to me, like I was witnessing a landmarked event, when to the people it was just an extra shot to give kids in school. But to me, it was a moment I'd waited for for almost two years. A moment I'd yearned for, and when I'd finally caught wind of it, I felt like nothing, absolutely nothing, could possibly make me happier.

But I was wrong. This, right here, seeing these two again after keeping tabs on Frank and following that mosquito out of pure instinct, after two years of waiting and struggling and overcoming emotional milestones and loneliness, after the people finally delivered...this was the happiest moment I could remember having in a long, long time.

I felt it building up in my chest, welling up until I thought I was going to burst, an anxiousness in my stomach, fighting the urge to reveal myself for just one second longer, waiting as the perfect opportunity finally came. The mayor, whom I now saw couldn't be older than the teenage Hector himself, slumped frustratedly into his large chair, huffing and throwing his hands up.

"I just don't know! What _is _this stuff?!"He exclaimed, and I didn't even try to fight the smirk that formed on my lips as I slowly moved, resting my back against the wall and putting my hands in my jacket pockets, voice breaking through the room for the first time.

"It's an antidote."

They froze, the mayor sitting bolt-upright in his chair at the foreign voice, a hispanic-sounding woman spinning around with a confused look on her face. But they weren't the two I was paying attention to. No, the two I was really interested in seeing were both standing straight up, Ozzy gasping with his back to me, and Drix turning around with a face that had just seen a ghost.

Ozzy didn't turn around, body too stiff with what I assumed was shock, my eyes locking onto him as my smile softened, finally walking into the light of the room, feeling it on my face as I kept my hands in my pockets.

"Long time no see, Ozzy, Drix."I mused happily, finally able to actually _see _ them up close, nucleus close to bursting.

"A-Ann...?!"Drix exclaimed, and I looked up at him, his face slack in complete shock, and I winked smoothly.

"What other viruses do you know that look like me?"I asked, seeing the woman tense up just as, finally, Ozzy spun around. It was hard to imagine that just a few seconds ago he was frozen with shock, because the instant he got over it, I was in the strongest bear-hug I'd ever recieved in my entire life. I felt my ribs almost crack with the fource of his arms wrapped around me, pressing my face to his shoulder and shaking me around.

"Ann girl! I thought you were never gonna come back around! How ya been? Good? Bad? Anyone givin' ya problems, cuz girl you know I still got your back! How'd ya find us? You just know? Like some connection cuz girl I _know _ we got a connection goin' on up in here!-"

"Jones!"I managed out in a choked voice, "You're killing me!"

"Aw, I know I'm a funny guy, but shucks don't make me blush!"He exclaimed, snuggling the side of his face into mine, sending an odd little shiver down my neck. I couldn't focus on it so much as the air slowly leaving my body, Drix as always coming to the rescue.

"No, Osmosis, she means you're literally killing her! She can't breathe!"He exclaimed, Ozzy finally pausing and, in a quick motion, set me down while still holding me at arms-length by the shoulders. He was beaming from ear-to-ear, that smirking, witty, smooth, devil-may-care face that I'd longed to see for far too long.

"Missed you too, Ozzy."I laughed, smirking as Drix exclaimed next to me,

"Ann, how on Earth did you find us?" I was about to answer him, when the mayor interrupted us angrily,

"Hey! I'm the mayor here! What did you say about some an...ti...dote..."His voice trailed off as I stepped around Ozzy and finally into the mayor's line of sight, his eyes widening and jaw dropping just slightly, gulping once I finally got to his desk. I tilted my head to the side, curious as to why he was acting so...scared? No, more like surprised, nervous almost. I mean, yeah, I wasn't exactly a red-blood cell, and maybe my hair was a bit tousled after it fell from the dreadlocks a few months after I left Frank, but I didn't look that bad, did I?

And then I remembered that the poor boy had asked a question, and decided that now was the time to start winning over the people in charge here. Over in Frank, I'd had a free-ride to the Immunity squad and Ozzy and Drix's team. But they knew me, the people here didn't. To them, I was a seriously dangerous criminal with the worst rep since Plague, and when I'de realized that Ozzy and Drix had been moved into Hector after taking a very quick peek into the kid's ear, hearing two officers talking about the two new recruits, I'd been planning this moment.

Agreeably, I wasn't exactly known for my people skills. In fact, once I started travelling with Thrax, I'd talked to a total of...no one. Come to think of it, I was terrified of having to deal with others. It was like trying out for a sport that you had never played before, or standing in front of a massive crowd. I was terrified, underqualified, and the chances of me failing miserably were sky-high...

But I couldn't just let Ozzy and Drix down. So I took a deep breath, and then pointed to the white, glue-like antidote that I'd researched the membrane out of the second I learned of its existence.

"That's an antidote that scientists have been trying to create for eighteen years, ever since my big brother and I caused the mysterious deaths of ten people. My brother wasn't exactly one to cover his tracks, and our calling-card fever and infection gave the scientists pleanty to work with. They decided, as a safety precaution, to give every child and adult the vaccine in schools and workplaces, which explains why Hector was injected."I explained in what I was trying to make a calm voice, running my right hand through my hair, for once without dreadlocks and now laying in tousled layers down to my shoulders, bangs hanging stringily in my right eye.

The mayor seemed to be in some kind of stupor, suddenly realizing I'd stopped talking and suddenly shaking himself, stumbling over his words as he said,

"O-oh, well then, that explains it."

"You kidding me?!"The woman exclaimed, and I looked over at her as she stood next to the desk, clearly a cop from the badge around her neck. She had a large ponytail, a white-blood cell with an orange jacket and pants with a deeper orange tank underneath, a hispanic accent undertoned with hostility that I'd expected, and yet cringed at.

"This chick just admitted to being a virus! Who _killed _ people! And you're just gonna let her go with that?"The woman accused, the child mayor getting a surprised and flustered look on his face as he looked from me to the woman, clearing his throat and saying in an authoritative tone suddenly directed at me,

"Uh, yes, well, I was just about to discuss that."He said cordially, then paused, getting a curious and angry look on his face as he looked from me to Ozzy. "Wait, Jones, you know this lethal virus?" I cringed at how he described me, though knowing he had no better words to. Thankfully, Ozzy was by my side just like he'd been over a year ago, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and exclaiming,

"Hector yeah! This girl right here helped me and Drips beat down one of the baddest viruses the world's ever seen! In fact, she was offered a job on Immunity in the City of Frank, right on a team with yours truly. Yu-huh, this girl's one-of-a-kind, heck! If you put her on our team, Strepfinger'll be as dangerous as a stubbed toe!" I could almost hug him, if I wasn't afraid he'd suffocate me again.

The mayor seemed to instantly take this, smiling and fixing his shirt rapidly and a bit clumsily, but I saw the woman's eyes narrow.

"Yeah, well this ain't the City of Frank. This is a teenage boy we're talking about here, and I'm not entirely convinced that lettin' a virus like her go walkin' around. Who ever heard of a _virus _ bein' on Immunity?"The woman accused, and I looked down, not out of anger, but out of shame. It was true, every word she said, but wasn't that why I was here? To change all of that?

"Woah woah, Maria, c'mon girl, Ann's not a bad kid. She just got dragged into a sour situation, but she's trying to do some good. Can't blame a kid for that, can ya?"Ozzy asked, his tone lighter and sincere, making me look up at his smiling, persuasive face. That feeling came back again, one I hadn't felt in awhile. The one in my chest, the funny one that I'd yet to give a name, but for the moment I liked it. Liked it because it was Ozzy, because he really meant the words he was saying.

"Jones is right. Ann helped stop her own older brother from killing Frank and aided in his recovery."Drix added in, floating confidently next to me. The woman, Maria, narrowed her eyes at me, a stern and searching glare that made me want to go hide, feeling like she was peeling back every layer of me and judging it.

"Who's your big brother, huh?"She demanded, and I felt Ozzy stiffen. But I didn't, instead taking in a deep breath and squaring my shoulders, trying to build up what confidence I could. Here these two were, once again risking their own names in defending me. I couldn't just stand by and let them without doing anything, this was for me and I was going to admit everything. No secrets, just the truth. And I prayed that would be enough.

"Thrax."I said, seeing Maria and the mayor's eyes widen and their bodies stiffen. Apparently we'd even made names in the bodies of children who were younger than I was.

"No way! _El Muerto Rojo_ ain't runnin' around Hector while I'm still a white-blood cell!"The woman exclaimed in a flawless hispanic accent, pointing a thumb to her chest and the other hand inching towards her gun. Ozzy tried to talk, but I cut him off, standing straighter and looking the mayor right in the eye.

He looked surprised at the sudden contact, stiffening and clearing his throat, almost a sign of pink on his cheeks that I didn't understand.

"It's true. My brother and I have killed dozens of people before, perfectly innocent people that didn't deserve what we did to them. Don't think that I don't feel any guilt for it, I'm more guilty than anyone will ever know, will ever feel... But I'm not my brother. He used me, and I'd only ever known his word. When Ozzy and Drix reached out to me, I helped them stop the chain of innocent people dying. And when the Chief in Frank offered me the job on Immunity, there was only one reason I didn't take it."

"You're a virus?"Maria muttered, and I looked over at her with a lopsided, ironic smile.

"He was still suceptible to me. I could accidentally scratch anything and he'd immediatly become infected again. That's why I left, that's why I waited for the people to make an antidote so that I could come back and be on a team with Ozzy and Drix, to do something I wanted to do. Something good."I said, and saw a slightly guilty look cross her eyes.

There was a small silence, before the mayor finally cleared his throat and said,

"Well...if what you say is true, then I don't see a reason why we can't let you..._try _ to be on Immunity." I felt my chest lighten, taking in a silent breath and letting a small smile onto my face, Ozzy whooping and jumping up, fist in the air as he exclaimed,

"Uh-huh, let's get this Osmosis train a rollin'-"

"Hold on, Mayor Spryman, she's a virus! You can't just-"

"I just did!"The mayor cut off the woman authoritatively, and I had to admit, from all of the negativity and hostility that woman had given me, I almost smiled wider at it. Spryman smoothed his collar and said in a voice that was trying to sound more grown-up than he was,

"I'm the mayor here, officer Amino. Besides, with this antidote not only can we arm the rest of Immunity with guns that shoot the stuff, but it almost means that Ann can't hurt Hector. So I'll give you a chance, but just one! If you, Jones, and Drix can all finally get rid of this Strepfinger, then consider yourself an official member of Immunity!"

I beamed, Jones cheering and Drix turning and giving a subtle fist-pump that I almost didn't catch, making me laugh as the utter feeling of victory washed over me. I had a chance, that was all I needed. I'd catch this 'Strepfinger', with the help of my two friends, on my first case doing something actually good. And, as cliche as it might sound, all I could think of was, 'how hard can it be?'...


	2. Something New, Something Wonderful

_-If you have any questions feel free to ask and review!-_

_~Ann~_

"And this here is your humble abode! Located three floors up from Drix, and only two floor up from your talented, good-lookin' tour guide here."Osmosis said smoothly and comically, leading me up to a door after walking up five flights of metal stairs. We stood at an apartement complex in the middle of Hector, standing on a hallway-like, metal balcony that wrapped around and up to the other doors lining the square, grey-blue building, a railing over to my right that overlooked the street where officials and scientists were cleaning random blobs of antidote off the street.

I reminded myself to be extra careful around everything, at least until they had it all cleaned up. One touch, just a little pinprick, and I was toast before I even got the chance to stay here. I turned my attention to the door that Ozzy was trying to open, struggling with the handle before Drix finally rolled his eyes and shoved past him, looking at Ozzy as he brandished a small, silver key.

Ozzy paused a second, then crossed his arms and said,

"I knew that. I knew that! I was uh...makin' sure no one could break in! Ya know, keepin' our little Ann safe." I smiled and surpressed laughter, Drix and I sharing a look of 'yeah right' before he pressed the key in and opened the door. I followed him in, Ozzy behind me muttering something about keys, and quickly felt my eyes fly wide open. I stopped, looking around in just..shock. It was almost overwhelming, actually stepping inside a place that was...well..._mine._

"You like it? I know it's not too big, but hey, no-rent-living ain't all chandeliers and old butlers, ya know?...Ann?"Ozzy asked, as I looked at the space I'd been given. It wasn't like Ozzy's apartement that I'd been in back in Frank, instead just one big square space, already furnished! It had a good-sized bed against the wall to the left, with black sheets and white pillow. Next to it was a grey-blue nightstand with a lamp, a small one-person kitchen on the right wall with a counter that stopped half-way and allowed for entry, the entire kitchen going about halfway up the right wall with an oven, chairs, fridge, and microwave.

The rest of the room was bare, and maybe that would have been empty and depressing to others. But to me, this was the most amazing place I'd ever seen.

"This is...so awesome!"I exclaimed, walking into the room and turning in a 360 circle, looking at it all, the clean blue carpet under my boots barely making a sound.

"You act as if you've never had a home before!"Drix joked, but I turned to him in all seriousness and shrugged, raising my eyebrows and shoving my hands into my pant pockets. Their faces became surprised as Ozzy stepped forward, asking incredolously,

"Wait, this is really your first crib? Dang girl, where did you and Thrax sleep at night?" I thought back on it, on the nights spent in odd, random places that we'd arrived in.

"Really, we just kinda stayed in whatever place Thrax took over for the gang's hideout, or whatever food we hid in to get into the bodies Thrax was targeting. I can't actually remember having a _home_ I guess, just moved around every few days. So this...this is so surreal, having a place of my own."I explained, motioning with my head to the space, a lock of bangs falling over my eye.

Ozzy's face lit up and he held out his arms, exclaiming,

"Well, welcome to your first home Ann girl! Drix and I are close by, so you need anythin' just jump right down. Anythin'! Even if it's scrambled eggs, company, advice, moral support, sugar!"Ozzy said 'sugar' while puckering his lips comically, making me laugh and push his shoulder, shaking my head as a light, happy feeling filled me.

And I felt how truly lucky I was to have these two with me.

"What Jones is trying to say is that moving into your first home can be an overwhelming experiance for young teens, and if you need adult guidance we are glad to help."Drix said properly, smiling as I rolled my eyes.

"I don't think 19 counts as a 'young teen', but thanks anyway Drix."I mused happily, the large pill winking back amused. Just as I was about to pull out my tiny Vacuole, the small suitcase in the inside pocket of my jacket holding the very few possesions I'd gathered over a year and a half, Jones's cellphone went off, instantly blasting one of the songs I'd picked up from being outside the people's bodies and listening to their music.

Unfortunatly, the song was 'Too Sexy For My Shirt', and before Ozzy could even blush and clumsily fish his phone from his jacket pocket, Drix and I were already rolling on the floor in painful fits of laughter. I actually almost felt tears at my eyes from how hard I was laughing, arms wrapped around my stomach as it convulsed.

"Wh-why is th-that your r-ringtone?!"Drix exclaimed through fits of laughter, floating slowly over as he helped me finally get to my feet, both of us leaning on each other as Jones glared at us embarrased and angrily flipped open his phone.

"Yeah?"He asked in a grumble, and suddenly there was a loud, furious tone on the other end of the phone, Ozzy instantly holding it away from his ear as Drix and I finally calmed down, whiping tears from our eyes as we watched, me running a hand through my hair. Ozzy finally brought the phone back to his ear and exclaimed,

"Yo, Chief, you mind sayin' that again in English?"

"Chief? He's here too?"I asked, looking up at Drix confused. He shook his pill head and said,

"No, this is a different Chief, though the resemblence is startling." I nodded, looking back as Ozzy got a surprised, excited look on his face and exclaimed,

"You got it Chief! Leave it to Osmosis Jones, Immunity detective extrordinair-" He cut off, looking at the phone and shouting, "Yo, he hung up on me!"

"Jones, what did the Chief want?"Drix demanded, and Ozzy shoved the phone back into his pocket, probably relieved that we'd moved on from his ringtone, saying,

"Another one of Strep's gangsters is holdin' up the Blood Bank, Chief wants us there pronto!" An excitement filled me, a smile creeping onto my face as Drix nodded, saying something I didn't catch, too caught up in the fact that right now was my chance to prove to everyone that a virus could do some good, too.

"Let's go!"Ozzy exclaimed, and I ran out of the apartement right behind him, Drix behind us and taking the time to close the door before I spun and grabbed his gun-arm, dragging him excitedly behind me.

"But I didn't lock the door! Safety requirements dictate that-"

"I dictate that we need to get our membranes down to the Blood Bank and catch us some germs!"Ozzy exclaimed, running down the stairs as Drix shouted,

"I don't have a membrane!" I rolled my eyes, pushing Drix in front of me and shouting,

"Meet you two down there!" He turned to give me a curious look, but I was already on the metal railing, holding onto the edges of my coat. I'd practiced this in the ridiculous amount of free time I'd had while the people were getting their antidote together, failing horribly the first few times and even almost falling into alcohol once, barely being saved by a draft of wind. After a few months, though, I'd finally gotten the hang of it.

I jumped, moving my feet to catch the bottom of the jacket and holding the top edges with my hands, soaring over the edge of the railing and down to the street, angling every now and then so that, in a weightless, free-feeling glide, I landed directly next to Ozzy's car.

"Daaang! Didn't know you could do that, too."Ozzy exclaimed, running from the stairs to the front seat of his car, Drix floating up and pulling open the open window, moving the pliable vehicle to accomidate his massive size, a large bump in the car where he was crouched. I smiled with pride, opening the back door and sliding as Ozzy revved up the dark purple care with blue flames on the front.

"I taught myself while I was waiting for that antidote."I explained, shutting the door just as Ozzy floored the car, blasting us forward so fast that my head slammed back into the headrest. I blinked a few times, wondering if anyone I knew actually drove well as Ozzy rivaled Thrax's driving abilities, weaving in and out of traffic and blasting down the road with the radio blaring some bass-filled song.

I paused a moment, turning my head and looking out the window as the City of Hector blew past us, so much cleaner than Frank had ever been. That seemed to be the trend in teenagers, having much cleaner, healthier bodies than those of adults. In this age, it all depended on how the citizens and leaders inside of the body took care of it. And that was what I wanted to do, prevent Hector from becoming Frank.

"Who's this Strepfinger guy?"I asked over the blare of the radio, Ozzy answering as he swearved dangerously around a car on the highway.

"Some major crime-boss in Hector. We've been tracking the guy for months, but every lead we get comes out at a dead end. He's got all these germs he hires to do his dirty work, and if it keeps up Hector could be in some serious trouble."

"That's where we come in?"I offered, and Drix smiled back at me.

"Precisely!"He exclaimed, and I beamed. My first case, and I was taking down an entire germ gang! It was a bit odd, to be on the other end of things for once, but somehow I felt that I would get used to it pretty quick.

In less than two minutes we were at the Blood Bank of Hector, a scared crowd of citizens, reporters, and cops all collecting outside the white building with its name in big, red letters across the overhang. Large white steps led up to the door, pillars showing carved-in images of some important people holding up the overhang. Currently, the doors were propped open, but no officers were moving in, instead working hard to keep the growing crowd at bay, probably stalling until backup arrived...

And then I realized. We were the back up.

"Ozzy! Don't hit anyone!"I shouted, his car coming to a loud, screeching halt right near the cluster of people, who all screamed and moved out of the way, me panting and wishing I'd had time to pull on a seatbelt.

"Ah, perfect!"Ozzy exclaimed, unbuckeling as Drix already flew out of the car, Ozzy quickly following while I collected myself for awhile. I paused, looked around, and then sighed.

"What did I get myself into?"I asked in a groan, before throwing open my door and stepping outside, running over to where Ozzy and Drix were showing their IDs to the officers keeping the crowd back. I paused a second, something odd tingling up my spine and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Suddenly this feeling washed over me, the calls of the people and officers drowning into a subtle buzz, like someone just placed their hands over my ears and muffled everything.

I narrowed my eyes and looked around, the distinct feeling of...being watched. Yes, that was it, I felt like someone was watching me, but I didn't know where or why. Scanning the crowd, I found no one, and yet that disturbing, on-edge feeling crept up my spine, body tensing and all of my senses heightening, seeing nothing but red and white blood cells, police cars, and street lights just coming on as the body began to go to sleep.

Maybe I was just stressed about this bank robbery, about my first case. Maybe my mind was just playing tricks on me. Maybe that ride had shaken me up a bit too much. Maybe...but...-

"Ann! C'mon girl, get shakin'!"Ozzy called, and I looked ahead, seeing him waving towards me as Drix headed over to the stairs. I quickly threw away that feeling and ran, Ozzy ahead of me as I broke through the crowd and met Drix on the steps, his gun-arm at the ready as I asked,

"Drix, how many are in there?"

"The officer said only three, but all are armed with Hemolyctic Anemia bombs!"Drix announced, Ozzy tensing beside me as he pulled his gun.

"Spit! They use those on blood cells and they're good as gone!"He exclaimed, and I got an idea.

"Ozzy, Drix, if you two can get all of the people inside out of there, then I've got a plan."I said, looking at them both. Ozzy got a big grin on his face and winked, exclaiming,

"Right behind ya, Ann girl!" I gave him a lopsided smirk and turned to Drix, who nodded seriously and said,

"I can blow a hole in the side of the bank and allow the people on that side to escape. Osmosis, if you can make a hole in the other wall then we should be able to usher the citizens to safety while Ann distracts the three germs...Ozzy?"Drix turned his head, Ozzy already gone. "Jones! Were you even listening?!"Drix shouted, but I placed a hand on his shoulder, winking confidently and saying,

"Just let him do his thing, I believe in both of you." Drix's features softened in a puppy-dog like face for a second, then he immediatly shook himself and cleared his throat, floating up straight and saying,

"Good luck!"Before quickly shooting away to the other side of the bank, me moving up the steps, coat billowing out behind me, and finally reaching the propped-open doors. I took a quick look inside, but my vision was blocked by a large, grey, bulky germ in a too-tight white tank top and black pants, some sort of large, blue key hanging from his belt.

It didn't seem like it could hurt to snatch that, so I lit my right pointer finger nail and reached forward, carefully and lightly melting the metal ring that kept the key on the man's belt. Silently, I held my other hand under the key, catching it smoothly and pocketing it just as one of the germs began shouting orders to whatever third germ was in the room.

Quickly, while they were distracted and this man was oblivious, a few sireneing cop cars pulling up behind me, I reached up and lightly tapped the man on the shoulder with an unlit nail. He straightened up and turned around, a confused and hostile look on his seriously-underbite-face, laying eyes on me and opening his mouth to talk. Before he could even utter a syllable, I gave him a smirk and a wink, then reached forward and skillfully grabbed his ear, yanking him down and smashing a knee into his kisser, silencing him as he crumpled to the ground, rolling around in pain.

I pulled back a foot and gave him a swift soccer-kick to the temple, stilling him instantly with a small, almost incoherant groan. Once his body was limp, I quickly shoved him with my foot out of the door's view.

"Oi, Flamer, you still watchin' the...hey, where's Flamer?!"A gruff, angry voice shouted, and I smoothly slid into their view, leaning a shoulder on the closed second door, raising an eyebrow and pointing innocently to where I'd hidden 'Flamer' behind the propped open door, asking,

"Oh, your friend? He's taking a nap." The two germs in the building narrowed their eyes, one still in the process of shoving IV bags of different blood types into a sac, a big meaty guy with green skin and a small, greasy-looking ponytail. The other one, the leader of the three, was thinner and leaner, with an elongated torso that had a big leather jacket over it, his eyes hidden by a bowl-looking black haircut. Both of them had black handguns with black cartriges filled with what I imagined was the Anemia stuff Drix mentioned.

"Who you think you are, huh?"The leader shouted, but before I could answer with anything snappy and sarcastic, the walls of the bank suddenly exploded with fumes of smoke, the cells all crowded in the back screaming and huddling in closer. I felt a small sense of relief fill me as Drix and Ozzy used the smoke that suddenly blinded everyone to their advantage, catching outlines of them darting to and froe, the scurrying of feet and people being usshered out of the two massive holes in the wall coupled with the shouts of the gangsters.

"Typhus, whatda we do?!"The chubby one shouted as I rolled my eyes, wondering how Strep could have gotten by with guys this thick-headed. They shouted back and forth, never actually doing anything to stop Ozzy or Drix from saving their hostages, and I grew bored within seconds. I tried to comb through my choppy, stringy, violet hair that now brushed my shoulders with my fingers, only to get distracted by my bangs forever being in my face.

"I need a new haircut."I mused calmly, oblivious to anything as the smoke quickly cleared, the gangster's shout of frustration breaking me from my random thoughts.

"Hey, where'd the hostages go?! You let 'em escape Mal!"Typhus shouted angrily, me looking up completely nonchalant with raised eyebrows, seeing Typhus shaking Mal by his shoulders, Ty's teeth gritted as I sighed. The sound attracted his attention, the germ turning towards me and instantly pointing his gun my way, Mal soon following as he dropped the bag clumsily and pointed his own gun at me.

I wasn't concerned so much as I was excited to kick these guys' asses for putting all those people in danger, raising up my hands calmly and stepping into the room, the men tensing and cocking the guns.

"Yo, you're about ta feel the burn of some Hemolyctic Anemia, red blood cell!"Typhus exclaimed, as I thought in my head, 'why does everyone think I'm a red blood cell? Do I look like I have a pliable membrane? Do I look like I can carry oxygen? Is it just because of my skin color, because that's called racial steriotyping!'

My mind rants were quickly ended as the two men suddenly pulled the triggers, thin black pellets raining down at my feet and instantly exploding, a noxious black fume suddenly mushroom-clouding up from them and enveloping me in pure black smog, covering me from head-to-toe as thin black specks collected on my clothes like ashes, the heat coupled with my normal body temperature only mildly uncomftorble.

I followed Ozzy and Drix's example, using the smoke to shoot forward and wrap a hand around the leather collar of Typhus's jacket, hearing his shout of surprise as the smoke cleared, showing me holding his face close to mine, a smirk playing on my lips as his eyes finally showed as his eyebrows raised, wide as saucers.

"B-but, that was supposed ta-" I leaned forward and quickly lit my nails, saying smoothly,

"I'm a virus, baby."

His jaw dropped, which made it that much easier for me to give him a strong, almost superhuman strength-punch right in the jaw, sending him flying through the hole almost ten feet away from us, cursing out as he disapeared from sight. I then turned my head to the other one, who paused for just a second before instantly dropping the gun and holding his hands up, shaking in fear. I smiled and mused,

"Good boy."

From behind me, more police officers ran in, all shouting as three swarmed the germ, taking his hands and handcuffing him as I turned towards the others, the officers all giving me curious looks before tending to the germ outside, dragging him in with handcuffs. From the door, I heard Ozzy whistle, seeing him walking in and raising a hand, me high-fiving it happily.

"Whooo girl! I ain't never seen crime-stoppin' look so bad!"He exclaimed happily, Drix smiling next to him and saying,

"Quite clever of you to use your appearence to fool them into thinking you were a red blood cell, though I don't quite understand how they could mistake a virus for an oxygen-carrying citizen." Thank you Drix!

I looked at both of them, something in their eyes that made my chest tighten, made the smile that much wider, almost made the room seem brighter. Something that made me glad, once again, that I was lucky enough to have these two in my life.

Pride. Filling their eyes and their smiles and my nucleus. They were really proud of me, and I was proud of myself, because I'd finally done something...something _right_ . And Hector, this was just...just such and amazing feeling. Something new and wonderful that I'd never gotten the chance to feel before, a sudden burst of happiness and joy and...belonging. A feeling of right, of this being what I was meant to do. Something I wanted to do.

"So, this is the new recruit-in-training, huh?"An old, gruff voice asked as a man walked up, looking exactly like Chief from Frank, but much slimmer, though still with a bit of an overhanging beer-belly. Ozzy slapped the man on the back, the man casting him an angry glare for it that Ozzy ignored.

"Yep! This there is Ann, the next great Immunity police officer! Once we catch Strep, I'll be training her to be the best cop there is!"Ozzy exclaimed, the chief rolling his eyes.

"Then I pity her. Well, the one you knocked out got away, woke right up and jacked one of our police cars. But he's just a minor germ, and we'll be sure to catch him sometime in the future. These two, on the other hand, could have done some serious damage with those guns of theirs. Good job on wrangling them up, kiddo."Chief said, and I felt the pride swell once again in my chest, standing straighter and beaming.

"Thank you, sir."I said, and he let out a laugh.

"Didn't expect a virus to be so polite! Then again, never expected one to work on Immunity, either. Keep up the good work, kid, and maybe someday you'll be able to find a better partner than squish-brain over here."He pointed a thumb to Ozzy, who stuck his tongue out at the Chief behind his back, me chuckling and saying,

"Wouldn't want to work with anyone one else, sir." Just as he was about to respond, Typhus shouted from behind us in a cocky, victorious tone,

"Ha! You still didn't catch Flamer! He held the key to every bank in Hector City, and with that the big boss man'll be able to squeeze every bank dry! That's right, you'll depend on _him_ from now on!" I raised my eyebrows calmly and remembered the key in my pocket, Typhus being dragged near me as I pulled it from my pocket and held it up.

"You mean this key?"I asked lightly, his eyes once again widening and jaw dropping.

"How'd you get that?"Drix asked, and I looked up at him in all innocence as I explained,

"I took it from that big guy before I knocked him out."

"Strep'll make you pay, little girl! You just watch, he'll be after you faster than you can...can...do something at a moderatly fast pace!"Typus shouted as the cops dragged him and Mal out of the bank, me handing the Chief the key as Ozzy suddenly crouched down and, without warning, heaved me up onto his shoulders.

I shouted out in surprise, which quickly turned into a laugh as Ozzy paraded us to the steps.

"That's right people, take a picture! It'll last hells of a lot longer than Strepfinger with this girl on his tail! Not to mention one of the most fine-lookin' cops to grace Hector."Ozzy exclaimed, me looking over and laughing as Drix flexed and posed for pictures just like he did the day I left Frank. I looked out and felt almost shocked, breathless as I saw the crowd of people actually clapping, cheering for Ozzy and Drix...

And me, right? All three of us. Because...because I'd just saved people. I just _saved _ people. And with the feeling that this gave me, I almost didn't notice the feeling of being watched again, brushing off the tense, paranoid feeling as Ozzy walked, only setting me down when we got to the car, the people still clapping and cheering as I gave only a slight pause, finally noticing the feeling.

It creeped up, and I kept a suspicious face as I slid into the car, shutting the door and looking into a dark alley across the street from the Blood Bank. I didn't know why, but something about it...something unnerved me, though the alley was empty and completely innocent-looking. Like someone was hiding in there. As Ozzy pulled out and quickly drove away, still cheering and celebrating, I decided to tell him.

"Aw, probably just first-case nerves! Don't worry about it, you've got me and Drix here with ya! Nothin' ever gonna hurt you, right Drix?"Ozzy exclaimed, Drix nodding and saying enthusiastically,

"We're a team now! No one messes with one of us without messing with the others!" With their words, the feeling slumped away, replaced with the happy-go-lucky feeling of our victory, of my saving cells, and of the bright future that I saw ahead of us.

_~Strepfinger~_

I rubbed my chin, eyes narrowed down as Flamer quivered in fear, sitting at my feet as I reached my free hand over, grabbing another hunk of chlorophyll and filling my mouth with it, the tender juiciness only calming my rage, not my curiosity.

"So what did you say this girl's name was again?"I asked, thinking of his tale. My plan to accquire all of the IV blood in Hector, which would render most of the population dependent on me, was foiled by a girl in a black trenchcoat and glowing orange nails, with supposed superhuman strength, red skin, and violet/purple hair?

"A-Ann!"He stuttered out, and I gave him a sizing look.

"And how do I know you're not just making this up to cover a mistake?"I spat at him, the inconveniance more irritating than anything. Those cops she'd been with, Osmosis Jones and Drixenol, had been thorns in my side for the longest time. Yes, they were only taking down minor henchmen, and my main plans to take over Hector were still fully intact and secret, only known by myself and my right-hand man, who stood next to me with a sudden raise of his eyebrow, a smirk playing on his sneaky little face.

But the two were annoying, and I tended to eradicate annoying things.

"N-no boss! I swear, I saw her with my own two eyes!"Flamer exclaimed.

"Sir, if I may interject for a moment."My right-hand man finally said, and I looked over at him, seeing his long black hair falling in his face over dark purple skin, his black eyes almost glittering with some malichious joy. No, I did not trust this man from the moment I picked him up back in Africa, but though when I'd found him he was a beaten wreck, somehow he'd used his underhanded, horrid, twisted personality to win me over. What could I say? The con-men made the best partners, because they were after the same thing as I was.

Power.

"What is it, Ebola?"I asked, and he with his hands in his black jacket pockets, a bare chest showing beneath that I did wish he'd cover up. Not all of us could maintain that phisique.

"I believe that this worm is telling the truth. From the description and the name, I believe I've met the girl he's talking about."Ebola said in his slick, charming tone that all but I would fall fool for. I raised an eyebrow and demanded calmly,

"What do you know about her?"

"Only that her and her brother were the two most dangerous viruses I'd ever met, after her brother horribly mangled me, that is, dethroning me I suppose you could say."He explained with an undertone of bitterness in his voice that I rarely heard, if ever. Now, with my interest slightly piqued, I inquired further,

"A virus, huh? So she's why you were half-dead when I found you?" I saw a flash of hidden anger in the man's eyes before they went back to charming and smirking, musing,

"No. I guess her older brother was a bit more protective of her than I first estimated, and he caught me off guard."

"Protective, huh? Then if she's such a big, bad virus, why's she runnin' around with Immunity?"I asked, Ebola seeming to find this amusing.

"I heard a rumor of quite a bad fallout between the two, but didn't catch any details. I suppose she decided to test the other side of the tracks. Must be quite a bitter pill for her brother to swallow."He got some sick form of enjoyment from this man's suffering, but I let that be on its own. I didn't care who Ebola wanted revenge on, so long as he did his work for me he was free to wish ill upon whomever he chose, even if it were myself.

I sat back and relaxed, musing,

"Well, if you really are that interested in the girl, maybe you'll be seeing her again. Though I hope it'll be the last, if you know what I mean."I raised an eyebrow and cast him a look out of the corner of my eye, seeing only a small, satisfied nod. I thought for a moment, processing details quickly, before looking on in the dark room that I sat in, on a grande chair fit for my power, filled with the baddest, sickest germs in all of Hector.

I adressed each of them as I said with an air of power,

"I'm not gonna let three misfit Immunity cops derail these plans. They mess with anymore of you, I want them cooked like chickenpox. Otherwise, we incubate like planned, lulling this city with minor crimes and lettin' em think we're nothing more than trouble makers. In a few days time we have a meeting at the Blackhead, where I want my Top Ten to show up, and I'll finally tell you why all of this, all this chaos, all these little details, were all worth it."

"What about the rest of us?"One germ demanded, and I grit my teeth at his brashness, as if he didn't understand that this was an undertaking of massive proportions, of the greatest takeover of a body in all of medical history! As if he didn't know the kind of power I was going to hold over this whole city!

"You watch the door!"I snapped, the first line of germs inching back suddenly as I sat back, taking a deep breath and calming mildly, saying in a calmer though no darker tone, "If those three cops somehow survive that long and somehow get wind of our meeting at the Blackhead, I want you to let me know. Ebola here will take care of the rest. Now, don't all of you have jobs to be doing? Or do you want to end up like Booger over here?" I questioned, motioning to nothing more than a puddle of green, Ebola giving an almost sadistic smirk at his handiwork.

This was all it took to get all of the germs to scatter, Ebola chuckling as I cast him a suspicious look.

"Ebola, if those three do show up, I want to meet this girl face-to-face."I mused, thinking of a brilliant idea. Ebola gave me a smile and asked,

"Why's that, sir?" I sat back, situating myself and sighing.

"She sounds tough, dangerous, if she was able to take down Typhus with just one punch then I can't imagine how anyone other than yourself could stand a chance against her, and if she's as big a virus as you say then she's been around the block a few times. A deadly virus with some experiance is exactly what I'll need by my side in these beautiful times we're about to usher in."I smirked as I spoke, Ebola sounding calm and amused.

"But she's on Immunity."He offered, and I scoffed and laughed at his words. A virus on Immunity, now I'd heard it all!

"Please, Ebola, spare me the inspirational story. Once a virus, always a virus."I cackled, and he gave a small chuckle of his own, before dismissing himself to get the plans together for the next few days, when we'd invade what made this city tick, what controlled everything. Because soon, it wouldn't be the brain as the center of command. That role would fall to me, and no Immunity cops were gonna stand in my way.

This city would bow to Strepfinger, it was just a matter of days...


	3. Still There Somewhere

_-The song that Ann plays the guitar to is 'Heroes' by Shinedown, and I highly suggest you listen to it while reading that particular part. Don't know why, but I was just able to picture Thrax singing it with the kind of voice Brenth Smith has. Thank you and I love you all! Feel free to review!-_

_~Ann~_

The body was already asleep by the time Ozzy and Drix finally let me go, spending a good half an hour making sure I remembered to lock my door, that yes, I was fine with sleeping a whole _three floors _away from Drix and two from Ozzy, that I didn't leave any appliance running, knew where the emergency exit was, wouldn't have any boys over(as if I knew anyone), and if anything happened I'd go to them immediatly. Honestly, if this was what having parents was like, I was glad I'd missed out.

Now I walked along the metal pathway, late-night cars lazily cruising the streets on their way home. Hector let out a snore that sent a slight breeze through the body, rustling my hair back as the unnatural feel of it on my neck bothered me, as well as the texture. The dreads fell out awhile ago, and usually when that happened Thrax would style them back...

I shook my head from that thought as I rounded the corner, paying too little attention and running face-first into someone, suddenly losing my balance. I stumbled back a bit and immediatly exclaimed,

"Oh, sorry! I wasn't watching where I-" I cut myself off, looking up and seeing exactly who it was that I'd run into. My nucleus dropped and I got a bad feeling in my gut as the woman raised her eyes and suddenly recognized me, face becoming seethingly hostile.

"You, shoulda known a virus would be sneaking around at night. What are you doing here, huh?"Maria snapped, hands on her hips. Her words, especially after I just saved all those people, suddenly seemed less true and more insulting, a more defensive side of me emerging as I found myself frowning and even giving a hidden glare up at the woman.

"You're sneaking around, too. And I live here."I said shortly and defensively, Maria's eyes narrowing instantly and crossing her arms, lips in a thin line.

"Figures, mayor puts us all in one apartement complex, as if livin' near Ozzy wasn't bad enough, now I've got some 'good-girl' virus to worry about."She spat, and I took into quick consideration that she didn't mention Drix before stepping forward, the woman not even flinching. I had to give her one thing, where others were afraid of me, she had no trace of fear in her eyes. Just anger, hate, and courage.

"Hey, I don't know what your problem with me is, but fix it! I just saved the Blood Bank from a serious robbery, and at least I'm _trying _to be a good guy. What's wrong with that, huh?"I demanded, hearing my voice rising and seeing the immediate defensive reaction in Maria's eyes. She leaned down, face inches from mine as I squared my shoulders at the taller woman.

"Listen here, _El Muerte Rojo_,"She said the name given to me like the name itself was a virus,"You can save all the banks in Hector for all I care, in my eyes you're still a virus with the worst record in medical history. Go convice Ozzy, Mayor Spryman, Chief, Drix, Hector you can convince the entire body! But just know this," She pointed a finger into my collarbone, me flinching back instantly at the contact and feeling my fingers twitch instinctively, trying to stifle the inner need to light them.

"When you finally decide to follow in your brother's footsteps, when you try to spread your infection, I'll be there with the antidote." I didn't know words could affect someone like hers did, hadn't felt a pain from verbal thrashing since Thrax, and I clenched my teeth as an overwhelming sea of emotions swarmed up in my gut.

Part of me wanted to hit this woman, _hard._ To make her stop saying all of these false things, to let her know that I wasn't Thrax and I never would be, that I was changing my life. That part of me wanted to shout right back in her face that Thrax meant nothing to me, that he was a distant memory and had no effect over me...

And the other part of me called that part out on it's bullshit. I might hate it, I might hate Thrax for everything he did, but...but he was still there, in my mind. Still there, right in the back, right in my nucleus, as if he'd infected me instead of the bodies we'd travelled in. The time I spent with him, back when we were a team...I couldn't get over it. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring myself to hate every shred of memory I had of him.

There was still part of me that had been there since before he started killing bodies. Since, I suppose, I was born. Part of me that I couldn't escape, part that he held, that made this woman's words sting that much more. Because they were the only things that brought me doubt about my ability to do all of this. The fact that, no, I couldn't completely get rid of Thrax, no matter how much I hated him, made me think that possibly, somehow, I wasn't cut out for this.

That I'd made my decision too late.

I'd just saved a bank and had one of the most amazing days of my life, and this woman just turned it into one of the worst. Instead of giving her a comeback, suddenly needing and output, I shoved past her harshly and stormed down the metal hallway, the clinking sounds below me only followed by something muttered by the woman, a sound I couldn't catch through the fury of emotions swarming in my mind.

I got to door C6 and flung it open, suddenly glad I'd stopped Drix from locking it so that I could just storm in, slamming the door loud and hard behind me. In the heat of the moment, in my blinding confusion and anger and confliction, I noticed nothing. Maybe, if my mind had been just a bit clearer, I could have identified the feeling of being watched that once again crept up my spine, but the second it happened I brushed it off without so much as a second thought.

I stormed over to the bed, just a few short strides, and flung off my jacket. The air that would normally chill my skin now cooled it, feeling flushed with anger and frustration as I plopped onto the bed and sat cross-legged, reaching into the inner pocket of my jacket and pulling out a small, compact red box. By its size, it might hold a pair of balled-up socks, just slightly bigger than the palm of my small hand. It was something I'd picked up from a quick stop inside a body, going unnoticed as I snatched it up.

I'd gotten it when I realized that, if I couldn't get over the bond I'd had with Thrax since birth, I could still have an outlet to run the feeling out for the time being. I opened up the box, removing the lid and tossing it somewhere, needing only to get the things that I'd accumulated out of the box. I reached in with two fingers and, just like a magic trick, pulled out a CD player almost twice the size of the box. That was the amazing thing about vacuoles, they could hold anything and everything. I'd seen something like it in a movie while I was on the outside, I think the woman's name was Mary Poppins.

I placed the black CD player on the bedstand, the CD I needed already in there, already being run through hundreds of times. The next thing I pulled out was a sleek, red pick. Needless to say, what I pulled out next was what had kept me sain these past months.

I reached in, tossing the box aside as I pulled out an amp, which I set on the floor next to the bed, and situated on my lap an electric guitar, the smooth and slightly warmed material under my hands instantly giving a muscle-memory relaxation, almost as if my body knew that the outlet was about to come. The guitar had been my only companion over the long eigtheen months that I'd spent waiting, finding it inside the same body where I'd found the CD player and the pick.

It's body was black, pure black with a few scratches that I'd managed to polish into an almost-blended state, black strings going up the center. The neck was also a jet black, but the outline of it was a deadly-looking red, almost blending in with my skin. I leaned over it, tuning it quickly before reaching over and turning on the amp with a subtle hollow noise.

And then I looked over at the CD player, nucleus pounding in my chest, feeling the cytoplasm flow in my veins as Maria's words played in my head again.

_ 'When you finally decide to follow in your brother's footsteps..'_

I quickly, almost angrily, pressed 'play' on the pad of numbers, moving my hands back to the guitar with a frown on my face, as static and voices spoke before the music played. These voices were fast-forwarded before they could even really begin, me in no mood to hear the happiness, the teases, the tone of his voice that she couldn't quite convince herself wasn't genuine.

Finally, I stopped the squeaky sounds coming from the CD, instead hitting 'play' once again. In two short, silent seconds, I began to play. I'd spent months teaching myself how to play the guitar to this song, knowing that when the voice began didn't always mean the guitar was supposed to begin. It didn't originally have a guitar in it, so I'd had nothing to base it off of. Call it intuition, call it listening to too many bands play when Thrax tried to round up croonies.

Whatever you wanted to call it, it was my outlet.

The sharp, attitude-like sound ripped from the guitar as I played, the voice joining it seconds in. It was his voice, gritty and soulful, with a smooth and dark rhythm. The voice he spoke in, but this time so much different. A side of him no one but I got to see, to hear. He'd hum in front of the germs we would gather, but that was just humming, or the occasional few words.

This...this was different. This was raw. This was Thrax, the one that remained in my nucleus, the one that I hated, the one that was still my older brother, whether I wanted him to be or not. When he used to sing, when he made up songs on the spot, songs out of his true and unguarded self, I used to sit and listen, almost in a trance. Enjoying just being us, being our team, just the two that we'd depended on our entire lives. I used to love it. I used to use it to relax.

Now, I used it to get out my frustration against him.

I played, fingers and muscles working on their own, pick ripping across the strings that had held up this long, though how I wasn't sure. I just played, almost in my own trance, at first my stomach tightening at the voice singing, but now slowly relaxing, feeling as if I were taking out all my inner turmoil out on the poor instrument...

The song ended, and the CD clicked. Apparently I'd run through it more than I thought the last time I'd played, not knowing that I was actually on the last song already. Without the music, the hum of electricity finally dying down from the amp, the room was left empty and silent, almost eerily so after such an intense amount of noise, leaving me feeling drained but better than before.

"Didn't know you could play, Slash."A joking, playful voice surprised me, my head snapping up to see Ozzy sitting on the open windowsill next to the door, swinging his legs and giving me a kind, soft smile that was meant to cheer me up, and worked wonders. I felt a small bit of embarassement dig its way into my stomach as I tried to find words to explain what I was doing, why I was doing this, finally settling on,

"I had way too much free time outside the body."

Ozzy laughed and leaned forward, but something on his face told me that he was here for a reason, something that still made him smile, but was a tad more serious than using my viral abilities to playoff a famous guitarist. He nodded his head back out the window and said,

"Ran into Maria."

I inched in on myself, frowning and looking down as a small feeling of...almost shame washed over me. Not just from that fight, but the fact that, right after I'd insisted that I wasn't like my brother, here I was playing the guitar to his singing. Honestly, at this point, I wanted myself to make up my own mind.

"Yeah...we um..."I paused, sighing in defeat as I leaned over, turning off the amp and laying the guitar flat in my lap, hands lightly over it. "She doesn't trust me."I finally admitted, avoiding Ozzy's eyes.

"Aw, now, Maria just don't know you like me and Drix do s'all. Give her some time to warm up to ya, and I'm sure you two will be gossiping like women do about how devilishly handsom I am."He said in a kind, playful voice, making me chuckle despite the damp mood I found myself in. I looked up at him and paused, saying a bit bitterly,

"I don't think so, Ozzy...she _really _doesn't like me...and I can't really blame her."

"Hey now, whatchu talkin' 'bout, Ann girl?"Ozzy asked, jumping from the widowsill and walking over to the bed, feeling it dip as he sat down cross-legged in front of me. I could distinctly remember another time, just like this, not two years ago. The first night I'd ever talked to Ozzy and Drix, the first time I'd actually talked about things I considered secrets.

And just like over a year before, I felt with absolute safety and a warm feeling in my chest, that I could tell Ozzy exactly what was bothering me. The white blood cell raised his eyebrows at me, and I shrugged, toying with the smooth surface of the guitar as I said quietly,

"I don't know, it's just...what if she's right?"

"Right about what? That you're a bad-bootyshakin'-pickanosis virus?"He asked, and I couldn't hold back my laughter, leaning back a bit and laughing out,

"Oh Hector no, not that name you gave yourself back in the Zit! Seriously, I was surprised Thrax didn't immediatly know you were a cop!"

"What? It was a good name!"

"Said no one, ever."I teased, and he crossed his arms, pouting.

"Psh, let's get back on track, huh? Why would Maria be right?"He asked, and I felt all of the laughter instantly drain out of me. I bit my lip, looking down at my reflection in the shiny cover of the material, my image distorted with a tint of black, blue eyes looking back that used to be so familiar, but I felt like I was just starting to get to know the person looking back at me.

"...That was Thrax singing."I suddenly said, motioning slightly with my head over to the CD player, seeing Ozzy's surprised look in the reflection of the guitar.

"That? Dang, I didn't know that viral mother could sing! What, he thought that if killin' bodies didn't work out then he'd go on Medical Idol?"Ozzy joked, and I gave a slight chuckle before shaking my head, sighing out,

"No, nothing like that...he'd just start singing sometimes, when it was just the two of us. I used to like it, back before I knew he was just using me. It was something that let me know I was important, getting to see him out of his normal, hostile kinda self...

"Maria said that I'd end up following in Thrax's footsteps, and what if I do? I mean...I hate him. I hate him for making me think that I meant something, that he was my protector and I could depend on him, that each other came before any medical goal. I hate him for lying to me and making me throw away such a big part of my life...

"But at the same time there's this part of me that just can't shake the fact that he was my big brother. That part of me that can't completely hate him because, no matter what, we were a team. What if that means that...that I really can't be on Immunity? That I can't change the fact that I'm a...a virus?"I heard my voice get quiet until it was a whisper at the end, Ozzy quiet through it all as I frowned and looked at the wall next to me, avoiding the look on his face, wondering if he felt the same way as Maria did, if he thought...

"Honestly, Ann girl, don't know if I could respect ya if you completely hated Thrax."

I froze at his words, facing him with a slack, wide-eyed expression, trying to process what he'd just said. He saw the face and laughed, shrugging as he said charmingly,

"C'mon, I saw how close you two were. Don't know what I'd do if I had to be put in your position, to go against what my main protector and older sibling wanted after years and years of loyalty. I get that you're upset, and you have a right to be. But there's always gonna be that one part of you, deeeeeep down inside,"As he said this, he poked my collarbone with a finger, "Right here, where that big heart of yours is, that'll never let go of the fact that, no matter what his motives here, he was your big brother, and he _did _ protect you. Gotta give him that much credit."

His voice was soft and sincere, like he meant every word he spoke. And suddenly, I felt myself biting my lip to prevent the tears that threatened to break free from my eyes, a tight and warm feeling filling my chest. Osmosis Jones, you wonderful, wonderful idiot. He believed in me still, through anything and everything. And I felt that he always would.

Suddenly, before I could stop myself, I jumped forward and wrapped my arms as tight around Ozzy's neck as he had done to me just this morning, burying my face into the side of his neck as the guitar fell between us, the white-blood cell stiffening for a moment. Soon, though, I felt him relax and wrap his arms around me, pulling me to him as I whispered,

"Thank you, Ozzy."

"Hey now, didn't you say the same thing to me right after you kicked my butt across my old place and then left?"He asked teasingly, and I chuckled, feeling lighter now than ever before.

"No, this time I'm not leaving. I promise. Can't say anything about kicking your butt, though."I teased back, and felt him laugh as I continued to hold him. I couldn't lie, something about being in his arms was...nice, sending a pleasent tingle down my spine, filling me with a new kind of warmth that I wasn't used to. It was a...a buzzing warmth, one that almost constricted in my chest as my nucleus began to pound just a bit harder, a warmth that spread over my whole body, having him envelop me in his arms.

It almost made me drowsy, smelling cologne and city air on his skin, the completely..._right _ feeling of being here, almost as if I were suppposed to be here, just like this...but that was silly. I belonged on Immunity, not hugging Ozzy!...So why did I not want to let go..?

Ozzy broke me from my thoughts as he pulled back, holding me at arms-length and looking me up and down, before saying in a light-hearted tone,

"Now, onto another area of my expertise: Threads. Girl, if you wanna start over, you're gonna have to get some new clothes! Not to mention the whole 'trench-coat' thing doesn't exactly make you look welcoming."

"Really, I thought that this was this's job?"I deadpanned, holding up a hand and lighting the nails, Ozzy holding his own hands up in surrender as he exclaimed,

"Yo, keep that cool! I don't wanna light up a perfect profile like this!" I rolled my eyes, unable to stop the smile on my face as I unlit my nails and looked down at myself, for the first time actually realizing that I could use a change of clothes. Not only would it be a change, truly starting over, but I'd worn the same outfit for awhile now.

"Now don't worry,"Ozzy said, hopping off the bed and walking over to the window, "Pretty-fly-for-a-blue-guy Osmosis Jones'll help you pick out the perfect threads tomorrow morning! And it's all on Drix, so there's no way you can back out!" He jumped onto the windowsill and, with a skillful jump and the quiet 'thud' of the closing window, he was gone.

I sat in the sudden darkness, carefully taking the guitar and placing it against the bedstand, the pick going on top of the CD player. I streached, the odd moment with Ozzy suddenly making me realize how incredibly drowsy I was, eyelids heavy and body aching for some sleep. I moved under the warm covers of the bed, pulling them up to my chin as I finally rested my head on an actual pillow, laying in a legitimate bed for the first time in over ten years.

I let out a low, lengthy sigh, closing my eyes in the darkened room. This was where I would start over, finally in a place of my own, falling asleep all by myself, no matter how lonely it felt... Despite the eating lonesomeness I felt, and the mild thrumming in the back of my mind of that odd, paranoid feeling of being watched, my exauhstion won out and soon I was sleeping deeply and calmly...oblivious.

_~Thrax~_

So, she really meant it. It wasn't just some sick joke that went too far, that seperated us, that tore a bond I thought was invincible. She really did twist it up, after years of protecting her, of being a team, she actually _joined _ the ones that we once swore we'd eradicate. I'd watched, seeing her play the part of 'hero' as she took down those bank robbers who weren't fit to spit on, let alone become a hero for stopping. But that's what she did, sitting the shoulders of that damn cop, the cop that tore us apart, the cop she _chose over me!_

Damn, I'd really damn hoped that it was just some facad, some grand scheme she had to bring us back together somehow, some way, anything but what it really was. I'd even followed her, risking life and limb to just see my baby girl, just to see if she really didn't make that big of a mistake. When I'd finally caught up with her, watching from the shadows as I picked out the first kid in good old Frank's neighborhood to get that damned antidote, taking the luckiest guess of my life...

I find her buddy-buddy with the law. The _Immunity_ . Immunity, like the cop that jumped from her window now, smiling and laughing as he walked away. Yeah Jones, you keep on smiling, walk with that little bounce in your step while you've still got a membrane to stand with, because I swear the moment I get my claw on you you'll burn faster than Frank almost did...almost...

All because you took my chain. Because you kept shovin' your nose in buisiness that wasn't yours. Because you took her from me, my little girl...

No, no Jones. I guess I can't blame that one on you. Don't worry, keep walking like you're safe, for now. Because if it had really been you that took Ann from me then you wouldn't have even made it out of the bank, just a puddle on my shoes, baby. Nah, it wasn't you. Because I remembered that look in her eyes, the look I'd never seen before. That..._true _ look, the look I hated, because it meant that I had no one to blame. Because it meant that the kid really did want to be on Immunity, that she really didn't want to prove all those germs and parasites wrong about us.

Because she _didn't want to kill people._ ... and yeah, I hit her. In that moment, when the betrayal, the wrongness, the fury hit me, I hit her. But I'd gotten over that guilt, shoved it deep down inside where it would fester on its own. Now all I wanted to do was teach her a lesson. The one that I never thought I'd have to learn a lesson to, have to straighten out, but that's the way it was now, I guess. Because she'd chosen this.

Yeah, you did, didn't you Ann girl? You think you can just leave like that? Think you can just hurt me like that? Think you can throw it all away and expect to start over? Oh, I was gonna show that girl just how useless that'd be. After all, it was like I was helpin' the kid.

If she could fight me, she could fight anyone.

I felt myself twitch again as that insistent pain twisted like a weed in my chest, claw twitching without the chain to hold onto, the chain she took. I slunk back into the shadows, giving a malichious, excited snarl in the direction of the apartements. Just give it a little time, little sister. If you thought you were rid of your big brother after he protected you and did all he could to care for you, if you thought I wouldn't come back and have it out with you, have a little sibling showdown to show just who was the stronger one...

Well, baby, this'll be one hell of a surprise.


	4. Back

_~Ann~_

I didn't know what I loved about the body right before it woke up, in the silent, slightly dim moments before cells woke up and functions picked back up, when everything was silent and still, in a state of rest and peace. It was...calming, freeing almost, as I walked with my hands in my coat pockets and smelt the fresh oxygen before it was converted into carbon dioxide, the air a bit chilled compared to my skin heat but not bothering me in the least.

I hummed as I walked, a habit I'd picked up awhile ago that I just couldn't shake, no real song or tune to go with it, just a hum. Eventually, after a few minuets of walking, I ended up back at the front of the bank I'd fought in just yesterday, stopping momentarily in front of it and sighing, smiling.

"Who'd a thought..."I muttered to myself, the bank almost a monument of victory for me now. I would have lingered in front of it longer, but the low buzz of a car on the highway a ways away from me reminded me that cells were gonna start waking up, and I had to be back before Ozzy or Drix woke up. I shuddered at the thought of them finding me _not _in the apartement, realizing that maybe I'd walked a bit too long anyway.

I turned in the center of the empty road, about to rush back, the last thing that I needed being the two starting a full-blown search party because I'd taken a walk outside, when I suddenly happen to look down and nearly have a heart attack. I gasped, jumping back and losing my balance as I saw a thin line of antidote that someone had forgotten to gather in the chaos of yesterday, laying there like my own personal poison.

The glue-like substance just lay there, but I knew that one mistep and I would have ended up in the obituaries.

"Freakin' scientists, gonna be the literal death of me-" I cut off. I froze.

I'd turned just a bit, ready to walk around the small blob of antidote, my eyes straying sideways for just a split second. And they'd landed on a brick-like wall of a building across from the bank, on the other side of the wide road, probably twenty or so feet from where I stood now.

But distance didnt' matter. Hell, I could have been blind, I'd still know it was there. I felt a violent chill run down my spine, leaving behind a completely frozen body, my jaw locking into place to prevent the sickness I feared would come up with the violent churning of my stomach, the only part of me moving being my shaking, wildly beating nucleus roaring like a waterfall in my ears.

No...no that's impossible. I wasn't anywhere near that spot, didn't even step foot on that side of the street... And the realization, the horrible, horrible thought twisted in my chest, painful fear spiking in my veins, twisting painfully up my chest, sweat forming on my palms and the back of my neck where, suddenly, all of the hairs stood on end.

That...that wasn't true. I saw...on the nurse's cart...there was no way to find me, to find _Hector_... He couldn't be here. Not here, not now, not when everything was finally...finally...

And it hit me. That wave again, except this time I knew why. The feeling of being watched, of someone standing in the alley behind me and just...looking at me, waiting, every nerve and fiber and hair standing on end, my breathing shallow and almost gone, body tight. I was in that frozen state children got in when they were afraid, when they couldn't move, when all I could look at was the crooked, long, still-glowing, red line that was drawn in the brick corner of the building, radiating a red and orange light, the sizzling heard just barely from where I stood.

One of those moments when you were too petrified to turn and look behind you. The only difference was that the one thing that used to comfort me in times like this was now the very thing that froze me to the spot. Because that line was undeniable. Because I knew I hadn't caused it. Because it was still hot. Because it had been done very, _very _recently...

I wanted to run. Wanted to fight. Wanted to do anything but stand there petrified, like a scared little child. But my body wouldn't listen to my nucleus, so I remained still, the horrible fear and shock making me sick, dizzy, as I waited, feeling like at any second, and moment... No. No, I couldn't just stand here and wait like this. I had to move, couldn't let him scare me like this, couldn't give him this kind of power over me again.

Because the girl he'd left and the girl I was now were two completely different viruses. So, still shaking, still petrified, I took in a deep breath and, finally managing to snap my body out of its coma, tensed my jaw and spun fast around, like a whip in a tornado, arm pulled back to attack first-

"Yo yo yo! Watch it!"

I gasped, jumping what felt like ten feet as Ozzy jumped back himself, holding up his arms as Drix shot right up to his side, both of them looking surprised and concerned. I, on the other hand, could do nothing at this point but throw my arms around Ozzy's neck and tremble, cursing myself for being this scared when I should be brave, but not caring.

Because he was back. The proof was on the wall.

"Ann girl, baby, what's got you shaking like a leaf?!"Ozzy exclaimed worriedly, instantly wrapping his arms around me as I gulped, trying to regulate my breathing and process all of this. He was back...he was back, and for once I felt that he wasn't here to be friendly to me. That feeling that I got...no, it wasn't friendly. It wasn't brotherly. It was, for lack of a better term, threatening.

"Ann, did something happen? Did someone attack you?"Drix asked, voice laced with worry and an air of protectiveness about it. That's right, because these two were here. They cared. I soon realized that the feeling was gone, that I no longer felt like someone was watching me, just a sense of dread and relief that these two were here.

I immediatly fourced myself to calm down, stepping back from Ozzy and saying, voice sounding breathless,

"The wall, look at the wall." They both gave eachother confused faces, but shrugged and moved more towards the wall. Halfway through, I saw Ozzy and Drix tense, their breath catching before, almost an instant later, they were rushing the wall. I ran behind them, skidding next to Ozzy as he looked at the cut in the wall, the heat now radiating onto our faces, just a dull warmth on mine but probably hot on theirs.

"This...this looks just like..."Drix said, almost in disbelief. I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek as I said in a dark, worried tone,

"...Just like Thrax."

"But that's impossible! He can't be back, I saw that fine-lookin' nurse cart his viral butt down to the pharmacy! No way he found you, found us!"Ozzy exclaimed, clearly trying to convince himself more than us. I shook my head, eyes looking and tracing the scratch, feeling a buzzing in my veins of recognition, of instinctive bond that I had with this. Out of habit, I traced my own nail across the scratch, and without a moments hesitation my nail lit right up, the scratch flaring up like someone blowing on embers.

"It's possible. The chance is one in a billion...but he'd take those chances. He's back, and..."I paused, suddenly dawning on me that this wasn't just a threat to me, and a massive wave of confidence, of anger, of determination came swarming back into me, flooding and shoving out all of the fear, all of the worry, and all of the dread.

Just one moment, it was just one moment when I'd been caught off-guard. It wouldn't happen again. I clenched my fists, anger warming my chest. He thinks that he can just come right back, try to ruin the life that I was finally leading for myself? He thinks I'll just let him?

"And we need to tell the mayor that Strepfinger can wait. It's time to take down El Muerte Rojo."I said, glaring at the scratch in the wall as if it were him.

"...You sure kid?"Ozzy asked next to me, and I straightened up. Seventeen years. Seventeen years, and it was all really just for his own personal goals. I never meant more than another weapon to him? Yes, I was sure.

"C'mon, let's go."I said firmly, and turned to Drix, who stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him for a moment, and in that moment his look was one I'd never seen before...

Understanding. Something in his eyes, like he understood and he was trying to tell me with just a look that he knew this was hard, and that they were both there for me...

As if I didn't already know that. There was no way I was going into this without them. Afterall, they'd kinda gotten me into it.

_~Osmosis Jones~_

"Mayor Spryman, three Immunity officials are here on important buisiness, they wish to speak with you."A nasal-voiced receptionist drawled into the intercom outside the door to the mayor's office where I'd been just yesterday on much happier news. I felt the anxiety practically radiating off of Ann, wanting to wrap an arm or two around the kid and let her know that, so long as Osmosis Jones was by her side, nothin' would happen to her.

But something told me that Ann girl couldn't be reassured with word right now, even if they were coming from yours truly. And, to be honest, I couldn't blame her. Thrax...that scratch was unavoidably his, no matter how many excuses I could come up for it. Just..just something about it assured me that, yeah, that was his. And if that viral mother was back, it was obvious who he was after.

The thought put a sour taste in my mouth, and I glance down at Ann as we waited for the little mayor to give us an answer that would undoubtly be 'yes' once I gave him a word or two. She was trying again, trying to put up that mask that she had on a year and a half ago, a mask of confidence and not being afraid.

But I knew better than that, seeing little things now that I didn't notice before. Like how she bit the inside of her lip in this cute little way, narrowed her eyes just a bit and looked down, like she was constantly thinking. A lock of her hair fell in her face, now out of it dreads and in this adorable, grungy tousled look, for once realizing that it fell to her shoulders. Her skin was a bit blushed around her face, a darker red than the rest, muscles tight and an unreadable expression on her face.

Her big brother was back. The one person she'd trusted her life on. And now he was out to get her? Thrax was writing a whole new low for himself in my book. I'd seen how badly she'd trusted him, how close they were, and now he was... Nah, I didn't even wanna think about it. Just wanted to let the mayor know that a whole new kinda bad was runnin' around in Hector and that we needed to change our case effective ten minutes ago!

"Tell them I'm too busy! Hector's birthday party is tomorrow and his stress levels are through the roof!"The cracky-voice teenage shouted loudly through the intercom, sounding red-in-the-face himself. I grit my teeth, about to rip him a new one, when Ann girl stepped in front of me. I paused, looking down at her curiously as she pressed the button, the receptionist glaring at her. I, just for emphisis, slid between her and Ann, the woman scoffing and, finally storming away.

Good, her sight made my eyes sore! Glarin' at Ann girl like that...

"Mayor Spryman, it's Ann, I need to talk to you."Ann said in a serious tone, and it was almost as if you flipped a switch, the mayor's voice coming back panicky, nervous, and startled, almost like he was talking to a...a crush...

Nah, nah I'd deal with that later! We had to get Thrax first..._then _ I'd sort out this little issue with my little Ann girl!

"O-oh! Ann! W-well why didn't you say so? Yeah, yeah come on in!"Spryman stuttered, and Ann visibly relaxed, taking a step back as the two doors in front of us slid open, revealing a disheveled, paper-ridden office, those three idiots running around and shouting order to eachother in their squeaky little voices.

"Ann!"Spryman exclaimed as Ann walked in first, adjusting his shirt and smoothing his hair in a frenzy. Some part of me didn't like this, and I found myself glaring at this kid's thought that he actually stood a chance with Ann. Pu-lease! As if she'd ever find a scrawny little chicken wing like him-

"Jones? Drixenol, what are you two doing here?!"Spryman had the pair to ask, looking beyond Ann's shoulder. I gave a sarcastic smile, eyes glaring into his, as I exclaimed,

"Oh, ya know! Just visitin' my favorite pre-puberty mayor s'all! How ya been- Oof!" I cringed as Ann send an elbow into my gut, making me strain my face to pretend like it didnt' hurt, tensing and tapping my foot in pain because _da-yum _ that kid could hit!

"We need to tell you something. Something's seriously wrong, and I think you should know that-"

"Oh! By the way, in light of recent events, I've had my team of scientists working on the antidote to find out its properties, and it turns out it can't harm any fever-inducing germ if it's protected by metal."Spryman dared interrupt her, turning and walking to his desk like Ann hadn't said something important.

She paused a second, and I saw something flash across her eyes, like she was trying to hold back an instinct to lash out at the kid, probably something she picked up from Thrax. She gulped and, a bit frazzled, walked up to the desk where Spryman was searching for something, me and Drix close behind.

"That's...that's nice, but Mayor Spryman, we've got bigger issues here-"

"Call me Spry! Or Paul, that's my first name."Spryman laughed nervously out, fumbling nosily in the drawrs of the desk. Ann let out an almost-silent, frustrated sigh, leaning forward more and saying, voice now more insistent and desprate,

"Spry, you need to listen to me-"

"Ah, here it is-"

"SPRYMAN!" I froze, eyes wide as the entire room fell into a silent shock. Drix dipped a bit lower as those fruity-tooty bubbles paused a second, all eyes on Ann as the idiots stopped scrambling, everyone in a sense of...well...not saying _I _ did...but a few people might have come close to peeing themselves.

Spryman looked close to fainting, me having never heard Ann actually raise her voice before, let alone get angry! I mean, yeah, the kid was more bad than Michael Jackson, more dangerous than a rusty needle, but I'd never seen her actually angry before! And Hector, was it scary! I'd even go so far as to say scarier than Thrax!

She glared, eyes a bit darker and body tight like she was about to seriously hurt someone, and I didn't want it to be me! I inched slowly around her and behind Drix, peeking out a bit so that I was out of firing range...literally, 'fire'ing range.

"Listen to me! There's a dangerous virus that I know from way back, and if we don't get the city on alert soon and keep Hector resting then something seriously bad could happen!"She scolded, smartly not mentioning that it was her older brother, Spryman's eyes widening in surprise and dread, exclaiming right back,

"No way!"

This ain't the 'now way' where people are like, 'yo, me and that girl last night exchanged digets' and your buddy goes 'no way!'. Nah, this was the 'no way' that might just get this kid sliced! Ann's eyes widened and her jaw dropped, the three scientists behind us cowering away.

"You don't get it-"

"No, you don't get it!"Spryman exclamed, frazzled and stressed and pretty much losing any change he had of even being able to maybe hit a little bit on Ann, let alone leave this office in once piece. He slammed a button down on his desk and the optical feed lit up behind him like a screen, showing Hector looking into the mirror with a worried look, brown hair messy and in his face.

"Hector's worried enough about his birthday party as it is! I'm not going to put the whole city on alert because you saw some virus!"

"Actually, we didn't _see-_ "I slammed my own elbow into Drix's side, making him stop abruptly and shut his giant trap. Unfortunatly for us, mr. goodey-two-shoes spoke too much, and Spryman's face lit up like a forest fire.

"You mean that you're bothering me a day before one of the biggest days of Hector's life, just because you think there's a dangerous virus walking around that you didn't even _see?!_ Get out Jones, you've been on thin ice already! As for you, Drixenol, and Ann, I don't want to see any of you until after the birthday party! Go focus on Strepfinger!"Spryman shouted, and I stepped up to retort something, but Drix held firm onto my arm, Ann already shouting enough for me.

"Birthday party? That's what you're worried about now? Hector might not _make it _ to his birthday party if we don't act! This guy makes Strepfinger look like chicken pox!"Ann protested, but apparently Spryman had a deathwish, because he leaned over his desk and shouted, hair becoming messy again as I debated how much I wanted to get in trouble for taking this outside and showing the mayor a real fight.

"Listen, I don't need this right now! If you, any of you, are reported for snooping around in anything that doesn't have to do exactly with Strepfinger, you're all fired!"

I saw Ann flinch at the last word, as if it physically hurt her, her face scrunching up in desperation and anger, words caught in her throat. Anger swelled in my chest, hating seeing Ann girl like this, remembering exactly how it felt to be in this situation. When I was fired, for finally doing something right. The situations were near identical, Ann finally trying to do something good in her life and now being threatened with her jo, and some new, odd instinct to protect my partner rising up. I tensed, Drix once again grabbing my arm and leaning down, whispering,

"It's not worth it Jones. Do you want to cost Ann her second chance?"

Hector, I hated it when Drix was right. Still seething, seeing Ann's shoulders slump in defeat with an angry face, I watched as Spryman cleared his throat and pulled out what looked like a bullet-proof vest, but where the pads were metal had been attatched.

"This is your vest to protect against the antidote in case-" Ann cut him off this time, ignoring the vest altogether and storming out of the room. I gave the dumbstruck mayor an angry, amused look, knowing he wasn't used to anyone saying 'no' to him before.

"She's not the kinda girl you can order around, _Spry_ ."I mused,walking away as I saw Ann exit, Drix close behind me as we walked through the doors. Ann waited, her back against the wall as the doors slid shut behind us. She had her arms crossed and a frustrated look on her face that I had to admit was actually kinda cute, not that that mattered! Nah, it was just my observation skills at work, yeah!

I placed a hand on her arm, trying to cheer her up the best way I knew how,

"Hey now, Spryman's finally hit puberty and there you have to go makin' him need diapers again." This time, though, it didn't work, the frown staying on Ann's face as she shook her head and sighed, looking like she had the weight of all Hector on her shoulders.

"I can't believe he wont listen...Thrax is back, and if he hurts this body..."She trailed off, and part of me ached at hearing the worry and pain in her voice. I frowned, resisting the urge to pull her into a hug, instead placing both hands on her arms. This girl, that I once thought was a deadly virus, turned out to be a Hector of a lot more like me than I thought.

And some part of me really wanted to protect this girl. Wanted to cheer her up and make her happy.

"Yo, listen girl, Thrax wont get this body so long as we're still breathing, a'ight?"I said softly, seeing her raise her face up to look at me with those big, blue eyes, "Now we'll know if he tries anything, and me and Drix here are gonna keep you safe. So don't you worry your pretty little head off, cuz you've got a big, tough, intimidating partner...and Drix."

I heard Drix protest behind me, but I didn't care, because I'd finally gotten a smile out of her. I noticed something that I'd noticed for the first time last night, that when she smiled her face lit up, her little nose crinkled a little, and something warm filled my chest. That sense of victory I'd felt before, when I'd first met her and made her smile, came right back.

"See? There we go! Now get steppin', remember I promised to take you shoppin' Ann girl! Drix's treat!"I exclaimed, finally seeing some of her stress lift off her features, wrapping an arm smoothly around her shoulders and walking, Drix exclaming as we walked, prepared to make the best of this situation,

"I don't remember agreeing to this!"


	5. Protect Your Partner

_~Ann~_

I had to admit that, as ridiculous and trouble-prone as he was, Ozzy did have a nice taste in clothes.

"What did I tell ya? Leave it to Ozzy, I've got your back!"Ozzy exclaimed as we walked up the stairs to the apartements, Drix behind us and grumbling,

"I still don't recall allowing you acess to my wallet, Jones."

"Hey, you hear something? It's kinda like an annoying buzzing sound."Ozzy joked, pretending to clear one of his ears with a finger, making me roll my eyes as I turned and walked backwards on the second floor of the apartements, smiling at a grumpy-looking Drix.

"I'm sorry Drixy."I said, and he immediatly gave me a smile, waving his hand/gun arm in a shooing motion as he instantly turned into what I affectionatly called 'mama Drix', fawning in a cooing tone,

"Oh please, you needed new clothes anyway, and you just look so _pretty _ in that outfit!" I heard Ozzy make some inaudible comment, me looking down at what I'd gotten, my old clothes in a bag that I was holding.

I now wore a mildly-form-fitting hoodie, red on the body with black sleeves, my old black tanktop underneath. My old jeans had become ripped on the bottoms of the legs, so Ozzy demanded I get a new pair of those, too, except these ones were black with red pockets and belt loops. He'd even gone so far as to pick me out new shoes, now black sneakers with red soles and red laces. It was...nice, the feeling of the soft hoodie and jeans, but also the newness of it all. Like I'd finally shed my last remaining ties to the past.

"I like it, you guys have a great fashion sense."I said, smiling up at Drix as we got to his door, seeing him fumbling with his keys.

"Well I'm glad you like them, Ann...now, you're sure you'll be okay? I mean, with Thrax back...I just want to make sure you're okay. If anything happened to you not only would the mayor be upset but imagine me and Ozzy and oh what would we do I mean you're my little girl and you're so sweet and you're going to do such amazing things and grow up and I can't have anyone hurting you and you'll remember to lock your door right?! Oh if you don't anyone could get in not just Thrax but some horrible germ who-"

"DRIX!"Ozzy exclaimed, jumping to his side and placing his hands on the hyperventalating pill's chest, me caught between laughing and being touched by how much Drix really did care about me. I wasn't used to someone freaking out because they were afraid of my safety, having been trusted to take care of myself and the whole 'worried sick' thing never being Thrax's style...

"She's livin' three floors up, not goin' to college, a'ight? Go in and take a chill, pill."Ozzy said in a convincing voice, opening Drix's door and ushering the man in, Drix calling out,

"You _will _ lock your door, right?" I rolled my eyes and smiled, calling back as Ozzy and I started walking away,

"Of course, Drix! Seeya tomorrow!" With his door shutting, Ozzy and I climbed the stairs to his floor laughing.

"Dang, I ain't never seen Drix get all worked up like that over anything other than apple pie!"Ozzy exclaimed, the body falling asleep around us, the street lights just beginning to dim after a day of hanging out, laughing, running, riding a merry-go-round until Drix got sick, and grabbing a bite to eat at a donut shop that let me eat free, since they mistook me for a red blood cell again and they were having a special.

"Apple pie?"I asked, still laughing, feeling lighter than air as we approached Ozzy's door. He smiled down at me suavly, saying in his smooth, happy tone,

"Trust me kid, Drix _loves _ him some apple pie!" I shook my head, hands shoved into the front pocket of the hoodie as we finally got to his door, but instead of pulling out his keys Ozzy turned to me, my right arm resting on the wall beside his door. I gave him an asking expression as his face changed, still smiling but looking a bit more concerned than before, one hand in his jacket pocket and the other reaching out to touch my arm.

Where he touched, a strange tingling sensation occured, and I once again had that odd feeling in my chest that I'd had last night, fluttering and warm and nice, oh so nice, but at the same time it was couple with a strange...nervous feeling, one I didn't understand. His smile was soft, and I noticed for the first time how actually...pretty, his eyes were. But wasn't 'pretty' not a term to use on boys? Hansome, then, I guess.

"Listen, Ann girl...I mean, Drix might have overreacted a bit, but we're both feelin' the same thing. With Big Daddy Thrax out there somewhere who knows what his target is! Could be Hector...but worst case scenario is it's you. And I don't.._we _ don't want anything bad to happen to you. You sure you'll be fine on your own tonight?"He asked, moving a bit closer.

I smiled up at him, mind almost hazed over by that strange feeling in my chest, and said,

"You know, no one's ever worried this much about me...I'll be fine, I promise. I'll even lock my door."I winked up at him, and he smiled, moving his hand to my face and combing back the strands of hair, that tingling sensation running over my face as he did.

"Good girl,"He said, winking back, "Not that you couldn't put a whoopin' on any germ that walks right on in, wantin' a piece of my Ann girl!" I laughed, seeing his smile grow wider as I did, saying happily and sarcastically,

"Don't know, if Badbootyshakinpickanosis comes in I might have to call for back-up."

"Ouch! That hurt girl, hurt real bad!"Ozzy exclaimed, his hand moving from my face to his chest and, for the first time since that ice-bomb that first seperated me and Thrax, I felt a small chill on my face where his hand had been. I brushed it off, at least trying to amidst the odd chemical-like reaction I was having to Ozzy, one I almost remembered having when we first spoke. Maybe it was just one of the many emotions I'd been deprived of.

I'd ask Drix later, he seemed really in touch with his feelings.

"Sorry Oz, put some ice on it later."I teased back, walking backwards as dark began to settle around us, a small streetlight still on that illuminated his face, casting a few shadows and yet it still seemed bright, vibrant, hansome.

"Might need some heat, heard that's the best way to mend a broken heart!"Ozzy called back as I turned, laughing and shaking my head.

"I'm sure Drix has a heating pad!"I shouted back as I climbed the stairs, finally out of earshot as I sighed. Today had been, by far, the best day of my life. It was almost difficult to think that it had started with the worst moment in my life, the thought of Thrax here still chilling me to the bone. My gut twisted as I thought about it, and as I entered my darkened apartement and shut the door behind me, dropping the key onto the small table I'd moved beside the door and dumping the bag with my old clothes below it...I got nervous.

No, I wasn't scared of Thrax. The anger was still there, the pain and the betrayal and, to be honest, the embarassement that he'd tricked me for so long, that in the end his goal meant more than I did. The memory, like everytime I thought about it, flashed across my eyes again as I leaned my back against the chilled window, affecting me more than normal cells but not entirely caring.

Reaching out to him, asking him to be a normal family, to stop everything that was hurting me. Because hadn't he promised me that once? Yes, I remembered now, as a brand new memory took its place, one that used to be nostalgic but now was just bitter and painful, remembering how things used to be.

I'd been scared a lot when I was younger, being around so many scary-looking germs with Immunity constantly after us. Everytime I'd gotten scared, I could distinctly remember Thrax's words. Whenever I got scared, he'd hold me to him and rub my back, saying in a soothing, rhythmic, deep voice,

"Hey now, it's alright baby, Big Daddy Thrax ain't gonna let anything bad to ya. No germ or godamn Immunity cop's ever gonna hurt ya. I'll be right here, protectin' ya." He said those words every single time I got scared, until I was too old to get scared anymore. And even then, he didn't have to say them, because I was convinced they were true. That he'd always protect me...

And then the memory was erased by the pain I'd felt when he hit me. That smack, that look in his eyes, and his words. The pain etched itself into my chest and I grit my teeth, reaching up and tracing my fingers along the side of my face that he hit, that part of my face, I'd noticed awhile ago, hotter and just barely a shade darker than the rest of my face. If you weren't looking for it, you'd miss it, but I never could.

He was out there somewhere, right now. And it was beyond frustrating that I couldn't do anything about it, that Hector was in trouble and all the mayor was concerned about was a freakin' birthday party! I shook my head, walking over to my bed and stripping off the sweatshirt for now, laying it on the bedside table and throwing myself onto my back, kicking down the covers so I could slide under them, just below my chest.

I stared at the ceiling for awhile, imagining Thrax running around Hector and gathering up croonies as usual, planning on taking down the body...

And then another thought hit me, one that both disturbed me and relaxed me at the same time. Wherever Thrax was, he was probably close to me. He wasn't near the Hypothalimus, no. Thrax always took down his biggest obstacle first, to down chances of not meeting his deadline. But he was near me, probably either looking for me or lurking nearbye...

A chill ran down my spine and my stomach twisted, eyes straying around the room like a frightened child looking for monsters under their bed, seeing nothing but an empty kitchen and bare walls. But the feeling didn't leave, making me sit up a bit, thinking that he could be here now, looking, making me both angry and terrified, half wishing that I'd remembered to lock my door, not that it would do any good at all. Or that I'd had a gun of antidote that those scientists were working on...not that I could bring myself to shoot him anyway. I wanted Thrax out of my life, not dead. I couldn't kill him, just couldn't. But now, at least, I wished that...maybe...the guys could be-

"AH! Home sweet home!" I jumped and screamed, falling flat on my face out of the bed before flipping onto my back, looking up at the sudden loud and terrifying intrusion. My nucleus pounding and cytoplasm pumping, I looked up to see none other than the exact two I'd been thinking about slamming open my door(Ozzy) and walking in.

Ozzy flung his arms out like he was greeting someone and beamed, Drix behind him and struggling to get through the door, lugging a large suitcase with him. I just lay there, starring wide-eyed and panting from my panic-attack, Ozzy turning and looking first at the bed, and then getting a confused look before his eyes finally fell to me, laying tangled in bed sheets and frazzled.

"Yo, Ann girl, you look like you've seen a ghost."He said calmly, and I gaped at him, exclaiming,

"You're about to _be _ a ghost if you don't explain why the Hector you decided to come bursting into my apartement and give me a freaking nucleus-attack!" He kept his smile and walked over, Drix finally popping into the room and collecting himself, frowning at me and scolding,

"You didn't lock the door."

"Not the point!"I exclaimed back, Ozzy reaching a hand down and yanking me to my feet, gathering up the bedsheets as he said,

"Actually, it is! See, Drix here and I think that there's no germ-shakin' way in Hector that we're letting you sleep alone while some crazy, homicidal maniac is out to get you!" I looked from him to Drix, who was shutting my door and locking it, with a dumbfounded look on my face. They were really going to sleep here? But...

But I couldn't say I wasn't thrilled. In fact, anything less would be a lie. Part of me exhaled and another part jumped for joy, thinking of having these two here with me.

"It's our duty to you, as our partner, to keep you safe and sound. I find no other alternative than staying near you until you're thouroughly sick with us. And then some."Drix said very to-the-point, opening the suitcase as, instantly, a massive matress sprung out of it and plopped onto the floor next to my bed, with sheets and pillows all included.

"Yep! With us, no one'll mess with you!"Ozzy exclaimed, and then promptly did the best impression of Mama Drix I'd ever seen, even from Drix. He placed his fists on his hips and jutted one hip out, saying in a high voice, "Now get into bed young lady! It's far past your bedtime! I don't care if you're a big-bad Immunity cop now, you need your sleep!"

The only reason I got into bed was because I was laughing so hard I fell backwards, Ozzy fourcefully taking my legs and throwing me sideways, yanking the covers up and then plopping into bed next to me, crossing his ankles and placing his hands behind his head.

"Oh no!"Drix protested, floating above his matress with a stern look on his face, Ozzy looking up at him innocently, "It is entirely inappropriate for you to share a bed with her!" It hadn't even crossed my mind until Drix mentioned it, but now I felt a heat spread across my face and my nucleus began to pound again, even though the thought of sharing a bed with Ozzy shouldn't be this big of a deal...right?

I mean, he was my friend! He was _Ozzy_ ! There was nothing awkward about this, it's not like I..._liked _ him...right...?

"There's no way in Hector I'm sharing a matress with you! And if you get in this bed instead of me you'll crush our poor little Ann girl!"Ozzy exclaimed, Drix looking down at himself and saying in a...well...slightly feminine way,

"What? I've been watching my figure!"

Ozzy paused, and I stifled a laugh with my hand as his face fell for just a moment, before looking up at the ceiling with a frown.

"I don't ever wanna hear you say that again, or I'm not man enough to black mail you for it. Now go to bed Drix."He deadpanned, and Drix rolled his eyes, laying down after mummbling something about 'if you try anything' and 'blast you into the intestines'. I sighed, laying my head on my pillow as, almost immediatly, Drix's snores filled the room.

"Night Ozzy."I said quietly, snuggling down into the pillow and closing my eyes, strangely feeling his warmth when small things like body head never affected me. It was, once again, calming and lulling, just like when he'd hugged me, feeling his weight and warmth so close to me. I quickly found myself falling asleep, the last things that I remembered being a gentle hand pulling the covers up to my shoulder and a gentle peck on the forehead.

"Night, Ann girl."

_~The Next Morning~_

A loud snore woke me from my deep, peaceful sleep, eyes slowly opening as my mind registered the sound. I let out a quiet sigh, feeling a warmth wrapped around me as I pieced together what had happened last night, slowly moving my face back to see if the guys were okay...

But my view was blocked by Ozzy. More specifically, his chest. Which was riiight in my face.

As in, as I soon realized, he was holding me to him, both of us on our sides with him blocking my view of the rest of the apartement, him still over the covers and me still under them. His left arm was wrapped around my shoulders, his hand lightly in my hair and sending that tingling sensation down my neck, his other arm around my waist, his chin on my head.

I had my right hand on his waist, lightly, and my left hand balled into his t-shirt with my upper body snuggled into his chest, his jacket that ended right before where my hand was on his waist almost covering my upperbody. I was so close to him that I felt his nucleus beating in his chest, felt the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed in and out slowly, unable to avoid the fact that under his t-shirt, he was definitly muscular and lean.

I felt that blush cross my face again as I realized this, and slowly removed my hands, moving delicatly and softly so as not to wake him as I managed out of his warm hold, almost begrudgingly leaving his warmth and the protectiveness that the hold had given me, not wanting him to wake up to that awkward situation.

Once I sat up, I was almost caught by the sight below me. Ozzy was normally so energetic,enthusiastic, never without some lopsided smile or comical pout on his face...but right now, he had none of that. His face was relaxed, almost innocent and child-like, body slightly curled in with his arms wrapping around the pillow he lay on, looking so...so...

Hansome. Yes, I'd always known Ozzy was some sort of hansome, but I'd never actually thought more into it than the basic fact. But now that it was all silent and I could see Ozzy in this state, really see him, I noticed things I'd never noticed before, like his jawline outlined by the gotee, or his cheekbones, or his bedhead. And for a moment I wondered why I was seeing Ozzy like this, never thinking of Ozzy as anything but a cute cell with a funny attitude.

But this felt different. I didn't know why or how, but something about how I was feeling now was different than it had ever been before, almost like...like I wanted to-

THUD.

I flinched back and covered my mouth as Ozzy suddenly rolled off the bed and landed where I assumed Drix was, waiting and hearing no one waking up. Cautiously, I peeked over the edge of the bed, seeing now a much more awkward and hilarious scene below me. Ozzy had fallen directly _onto _ Drix, his face plastered to the pill's chest with his arms hanging over the sides, Drix still snoring and Ozzy beginnig to drool.

"...I think I'll let them wake up on their own."I whispered, moving to the end of the bed and jumping off so as not to wake the happy couple, trying to brush off my own awkard wake up as I moved to the kitchen and opened a drawr, pulling out a few cans of soup that Drix picked up for me. I let that distract me as the two slept, stirring them every now and again and adding in salt when needed and some pepper.

Lucky for these two, I was damn good at cooking. It wasn't like Thrax and I could have walked up to a McMitosis and ordered a burger and fries lookin' like two viruses about to kill someone. Instead, from a very early age, I'd learned how to cook with what I had, eventually using it as a way to pass the time. I cooked for a good twenty minutes, pouring the soup into three already-supplied bowls and making the two some coffee into mugs, until I heard a stirring behind me.

"Ann girl...wha' time...wait..wha-who..."Ozzy's tired voice mummbled out, hearing a loud snort as Drix exclaimed,

"I'm awake!...Jones?!"

"Drix?!"

"_**GET OFFA ME!**_ "They both screamed in unison, and luckily their curses were loud enough to cover my snort of laughter, turning with all the bowls and mugs in my arms and laying them on the counter, pulling my own chair up and sitting as I saw Ozzy scramble away from Drix, who shot up into the air. I shook my head and watched as Ozzy looked from Drix to the bed, asking,

"Yo, where'd Ann go?"

"Right behind you. Thought I'd give you and Drix some privacy."I mused, leaning on my elbows as their faces snapped to me, Ozzy looking shocked and frazzled. I couldn't help myself, laughing and leaning back. "You guys should see your faces!"

"Yeah, well you'd look wack too if you woke up on _that _ thing!"Ozzy exclaimed, walking over to the soup and sitting down grumpily, Drix sitting next to him but a bit farther away than necissairy, saying back,

"Imagine how I feel!"

"Probably grateful to have this hunk of cell anywhere near your personhood."Ozzy bragged, picking up the soup with his spoon, Drix doing the same and rolling his eyes.

"Please!"He exclaimed, as they both took a bite of the red soup at the same time. It was as if someone flipped a switch, their eyes widening and bad moods instantly gone as they swallowed, Ozzy sitting back and cheering.

"Dang girl! That's some slap-your-momma good soup!"Ozzy hooted, making me smile in pride.

"Indeed, it has just the right mix of salt and tomato. Delightful, what's your secret?"Drix asked happily, once again the polar-oppisit of Ozzy, as I smiled, shrugging as I ate my own spoonful.

"I've been cooking since I was little. Pretty good, huh?"I bragged, winking as Ozzy streached and closed eyes, musing,

"Yeah, not as good as me, but good!" I frowned, an idea forming in my head and making me smile mischeviously. While his eyes were still closed in his streach, I reached my hand over, nail lit up, and dipped it into the soup. Almost instantly, it started to boil, and before Ozzy could open his eyes I snatched my hand back, placing the nail in my mouth as I tasted the now-searing hot liquid.

Drix and I exchanged a glance, him winking at me as he took a spoonful of soup, me winking back just as Ozzy took another bite...

"YEOWCH!"He exclaimed, jumping back and the spoon clattering into the soup, sprinting around the counter and beginning to gulp down water from the sink below the microwave. I chuckled, trying to look innocently up at the ceiling as Ozzy panted, turning and exclaiming,

"What the Hector?!" I avoided his gaze, and I was pretty damn sure he was about to call me out on it when, suddenly, Drix shot up.

"Oh no!"He exclaimed, and I looked over at him, seeing him in distress, "That reminds me, I was making apple pie for the birthday party celebration and LEFT THE OVEN ON!"He exclaimed, and before I could say anythiing he was out the door and gone. Hm. He really did like apple pie.

"Dang it!"Ozzy exclaimed behind me, and I followed him as he walked quickly to the door.

"What's up with you?"I asked, Ozzy groaning as he said,

"I left my lucky shades on my couch and forgot to lock the door! Be back faster than you can say Osmosis!" He turned and quickly ran out the door, leaving it open as I stood in front of it, frowning. Osmosis.

I placed my hands on my hips as the knuckleheads footsteps rang out, muttering to myself,

"Those two will be the death of me."

"Aw, not before me, baby."

A hand slammed the door shut from behind me.


	6. A Burning Cold

_~Ann~_

His breath on the back of my neck, sending a chill down my spine, the presence behind me that solidified all of our fears. He was back. He was here. I didn't need to turn to look, didn't need to see the long claw on the hand against the door, didn't need to hear his voice. I _felt it_ , all of it, all at once. The pain, the betrayal, the anger, the hate, the revenge, the wrongness. I had worried that, when he finally showed up, I'd be too afraid to fight him.

"Miss me, baby?"He mused behind me, his hand planted firmly on the door in front of me, as if saying that he wasn't about to let me escape. And I wasn't going to try to.

"Miss this?"I asked, and before he could respond I spun around and slammed a fist into the side of his face, feeling an intense rush of adrenaline as I did. There was a level of shock coming from Thrax as he stumbled backwards, not thrown like normal cells or germs would be, his right hand over the left side of his face that I'd punched with all of my might, shaking and glaring and...and surprised at myself. Surprised that I was actually able to do this, and that I felt like I could do more.

Because he didn't control me anymore.

For the first time in almost two years, I saw Thrax. I saw my big brother. He looked exactly the same, same red skin, same purple dreads, same wide, yellow eyes, same trench coat and long claw, same horribly furious sneer on his face as he looked from his hand to me. But I felt like, right now, I was seeing him with new eyes. With open eyes.

"You think this makes you tough, baby-"

"Don't call me that."I interrupted him furiously, feeling the adrenaline and anger pumping in my veins, fists clenched tight and glaring furiously as he slowly stood, tilting his head to the side with a furious, surprised, confused look, eyes going wide and mouth in a deathly frown. But I didn't shy away from it, instead I began to plan this out.

The apartement was too small, and I didn't want to hurt the ones living and possibly still sleeping around me. If only I could get outside, get us to an open area, then the real fight could begin. The only issue was actually getting outside.

Thrax's laughter broke me from my thoughts, looking up with a sense of cautiousness as his laughter, low and rhythmic, echoed around the near-empty apartement. He threw his head back and smoothed his dreads with his clawhand, giving me a half-crazy, half-furious smile, his laugh sending a nervous, uneasy feeling through me.

"Oh, _baby,"_ He drawled out the word, knowing it would make me angry, feeling my eye twitch as I simultaniously glared at him and thought of a way to get out. It hit me as he took a step towards me, slowly holding his claw-hand up and lighting it, as if it were supposed to intimidate me, as if he actually thought that after everything I'd been through that I could possibly be afraid of anything anymore.

No, fear was something I left behind the second he decided to re-enter my life.

"That there was a mistake."He finished, and the next few steps happened quickly and almost dizzingly fast, with Thrax taking one more step towards me and me putting my just-thrown-together plan into action. I dodged for the bag under the table, Thrax lunging for me with his claw outstreached, a wild and furious look in his eyes as if he deserved to be angry about anything. With one hand lighting my claws and ripping the bag open, I turned with the other and grabbed Thrax's wrist.

There was no point in trying to physically outdo Thrax. He was twice as strong as I was, if not more than that, but I had more than just physical brutality to beat him. I lit the nails on that hand and, with all my strength and gritting my teeth, I dug them into his wrist. He howled, grunting harshly and yanking his claw back in a way that left his chest exposed, allowing me to bring a foot up and smash it right in the center of his ribs with all the adrenaline that I could muster.

It did nothing more than knock him over onto his back, but those split seconds were all I needed. Quickly and almost blindingly, I ripped out the trenchcoat and pulled it on, jumping onto the windowsill as I got both arms into the thing. I saw the just-awakening outside, every muscle in my body tensed as I sensed Thrax right behind me, knowing that I'd be shaking if I wasn't so filled with adrenaline.

"Don't think so!"Thrax shouted, but before he could get to me I jumped, clearing the hall completely and making it to the railing, not landing for half a second before jumping again, throwing my arms out and using the coat as wings just like I'd done yesterday, catching a deep inhale of air and soaring fast forward. I watched the ground below me go flying by, for just a moment everything actually...

Calming. There was a silence, just the whoosh of air past my ears, just the rapidfire pump of cytoplasm in my veins, every muscle tense and senses heightened, wondering where Thrax was, almost praying to Hector that he wasn't back at the apartements where Ozzy and Drix were...

Ozzy and Drix. They wouldn't know what happened, all they'd see would be the apartement empty and the door slammed shut, maybe an indent or two in the floor. 'Please, _please _ overreact like you always do and call Immunity' I begged in my mind, and after a minute of silence actually began to wonder where Thrax was.

I shouldn't have.

"Hey baby!"I heard right above me, just like he'd said to that Leah girl back in Frank. I gasped suddenly, moving unevenly in the air and the wind catching the top of the coat, sending me into a tailspin downwards with all of the wind that was supposed to be in the coat leaving, sending just me towards the ground.

I don't know how I did it, but somehow my mind worked quick enough to stifle my landing by angling towards a streetlight. Once I got close enough, the coat hooked onto the point at the top just above the square light, causing me to jolt when I fell, like a bungee chord, arm straining painfully and me grunting as the coat was ripped from me, leaving my body to hit the ground just barely on my feet with the coat billowing above me in the empty street.

I staggered a bit, only getting a glimps of the Blood Bank of Hector before something hard, like a foot, slammed into my spine and send me skidding forward on the ground, the jolt almost as painful as the skidding on my elbow, stinging without heat. I grunted, spinning around just as a fist slammed right into my face, knocking me on my back as the taste of cytoplasm filled my mouth, entire left side of my face going numb for a few seconds.

The tide had turned quickly, and I fought down every weakening feeling of pain, of betrayal, of utter and complete sadness, of just...horror. That this was Thrax. That every blow, every ounce of pain...it was my big brother hitting me. The one I used to sit on swings with. The one who used to sing to me. The one who protected me.

A hand wrapped around my throat and pressed down with super-virus strength, my eyes flying open and then narrowing again as I looked up, seeing Thrax kneeling over me and straddling my chest, holding my throat with his right hand and the claw gently flicking back my bangs. I stared right into his eyes, wide and almost amused, a toothy snarl on his features with one or two dreads hanging down in his face, panting and looking as if he enjoyed every minute of this, as if he had been waiting to do this.

"Now now, Ann baby,"He breathed, claw dragging down the side of my face with an actual heat signiture, the only heat I'd ever really felt, doing nothing damaging other than minute pain, "Runnin' away from big daddy Thrax, that ain't how we used to roll, was it?"Every word was mocking, and maybe it was supposed to put me down. Maybe it was supposed to hurt me.

But it didn't. Not by a long shot. Because through all of the turmoil, the pain, the memories, the complete change of everything I once thought was true, through the complete _hell _ I'd been put through, all he was doing was reassuring me of one thing.

I never meant anything to him.

"Is that was Immunity taught you, baby?"He spat the word Immunity like a curse word, and I glared daggers up at him, feeling a strength vibrate through my body, tensing my left leg. I grabbed his claw with my bare hand, feeling like I'd laid my palm on black pavement in the middle of summer, and spat right back at him icily,

"They taught me more than you ever did." His eyes widened in fury, but before he could do anything I brought my left knee up and slammed it into his back, making him flinch and loosen his grip on my throat. I jerked forward hard enough to rip from the grasp, squeezing the claw and throwing it to the side, tossing him onto his side and off of me. I jumped to my feet, bringing a foot back and kicking him in the stomach.

He flinched and rolled, getting to his own feet. But I wasn't letting up, not with the pain on my arm, not with the heat lingering on the side of my face and my throat, not with the pain in my chest. I lunged forward, ducking and avoiding his own fist and then uppercutting him, right under his chin.

"Grah!"He grumbled, back slamming onto the streetlamp, jarring the jacket free from the top and making it billow down onto his face. In this moment of distraction, I jumped forward, grabbing the jacket and wrapping it tightly around his face, then turning him and shoving him forward, jumping up in the air and spinning, slamming a leg into the side of his head with a full-fource momentum.

This time, he actually flew back a bit, falling onto his back and ripping off the jacket. The roles were literally switched, me jumping up and down onto his chest, making him gag as my hands went intsantly to his larger neck, glaring and panting down at him as his eyes, wide and glowering, looked at me in pure hate.

I leaned down, muscles tight with anger, almost like a coil pushed down until it was just about to break.

"Give it up, Thrax."I said through clenched teeth, "It's over. You lost! Okay! So just stop it!"I was screaming, not realizing that tears were about to come until I felt the tingling on the back of my eyes, trying to fource them down. I couldn't let him see me crying now, I was supposed to be stronger, I was supposed to be independent. I wasn't supposed to be wishing that I had him back with me, and I wasn't.

I was just wishing that I didn't have to hit him anymore.

"Stop?"He spat through a choked voice, then laughed a few times, chest bouncing before he fixed me with a borderline-crazy glare/smile, "Baby, you know me better than that!"

I paused a moment, letting one flash of pain run down my chest, before narrowing my eyes and stopping the ebb of memories threatening to come rushing forth. Because they didn't matter anymore. They never did.

"...I thought I did."I said sadly, bitterly down at him, and for a moment...it almost looked as if he were...regretful? No, no the moment ended too fast for that to have been the look that slacked his face, to deep for him to immediatly glower at me again.

"Please! You're the one that changed your tune, all for one white-blood cell without a spitting chance! You chose a stranger over your own brother-"

"I chose my future over your selfish goals!"I spat, and a look of surprise crossed his eyes, not used to me actually shouting at him, actually fighting for myself, panting as I grit my teeth and said in a voice filled with pain, "Your goals meant more to you than I ever did, anyway."

There. I saw it, the shock, eyes widenin without anger, just a surprised look as his face fell, eyebrows raising, and then eyes narrowing in something akin to...bitterness? Something like it...

The screech of tires somewhere far behind me made me lose precious concentration for just a second, looking back as the tiny dot of Ozzy's car zoomed over the horizon. By the time I realized my mistake and looked back, Thrax had already taken the opportunity. He ripped my hands off with one hard swing of his free hands, then almost instantly grabbed my throat and stood up, holding me high off the through as I felt my airway close.

I struggled, holding his right hand as I kicked and tried to relieve the pressure, to no avail. Lungs squeezed for air, but none came, only making high, gasping, gargled sounds.

"Well, Ann?!"Thrax shouted, walking forward a bit, grip tightening on my throat, "Is this how you planned to fight me?! Cuz baby, you'll have to do better than that!" With that, I was thrown backwards, hitting the ground after a few airborn seconds, sucking in air as...

As I realized something was wrong. I'd fallen and rolled, tires screeching closer now, just a few yards away, but I barely heard them. Because I'd rolled _into _ something, and this something was...cold. Horribly, terribly, _agonizingly _ cold. I gasped, such pain instantly shooting through my veins like someone had injected a poison into them that I couldn't bring myself to even utter a groan or a scream. It was instantly blinding, body tensing and convulsing, curling up as I thought I would be sick, just such horribly pain, a bitter, bitter cold that enveloped me like cyanide.

The cold was unlike any other cold I'd felt. Worse. Worse than that bomb back at the Zit. Worse than the chilled window. No, because those colds were just cold. Just shivering, rattling cold. This cold, this cold invaded my body. It flowed into my veins and cracked every bone and ripped every tissue, it attacked me, it damn near blinded me into unconciousness, my eyes closing and mind going fuzzy, the pain too much for my body to take.

Because this wasn't just a cold. This cold _burned._

I felt a foreign heat on my face and, through the haze of agony and ripping cold, like an icy fire destroying my body from the inside out, I heard the screech of tires and a voice.

"Ann!" Two arms lifted me from whatever I'd fallen in, but the cold didn't leave, didn't let up, only got worse. My head fell to one side, eyes closed as I tried to open them and at the same time fought the urge to cry, the pain that intense.

"What, Ann girl can't take a hit anymore?"Thrax's voice, a hazed tone, but his voice nonetheless.

"Spit, what's...no. No. Nonono. NO! Ann! And speak to me! Drix! Drix call an ambulance!"Ozzy's frantic, hysteric voice above me. A familiar gasp from Drix.

"What? She fell in a puddle an' now she's gotta go to a hospital? Pitiful Jones, piti-"

"It's the antidote!"

A silence. A thundering, chilling silence, as I felt Ozzy move me, the side of me in the most amount of terrible, just mind-numbing pain exposed, and I slowly felt myself slip from conciousness.

"Ann! Ann don't do this! C'mon girl, stay with me!...!...A...Ann!..."A broken bit of sentences. Floated down to me, knowing now what it was that I'd rolled into, knowing now what was going on. The antidote. It was the antidote. And I was dying.

For a split second, my eyes opened just a crack. Everything was watery, hazy, almost like a mirage from underwater. And only one thing was in focus. I could only see one thing, through the pain, through the cold, through the haze. Just one thing.

Thrax's face. His horrified face, arm up a bit as if he wanted to take a step back but couldn't, not a look you normally saw. Mouth open as if he wanted to talk but didn't know the words, shaking his head slowly, eyes horrified and...and almost regretful this time. Yes, regretful, maybe, or was it the realization that something this toxic even existed, that something could kill him.

That after all his hard work, finally, something could stop him. And maybe this would make him give up. The antidote. Not my own impending mortality, no. And for a second, our eyes connected, and though I couldn't for any words to speak to him, in my eyes I asked one, single question, as Ozzy and Drix shouted, sirens pulling up somewhere around us, lights flashing, voices, the Chief, a gasp, a scream, more of Ozzy shouting, Drix freaking out, just before Ozzy lifted me up and just before my eyes slipped closed and I fell into a cold, dark, burning oblivion, I asked with my eyes...

Was this what you wanted?

_~Osmosis Jones~_

"Jones! Jones! Hold on!"Maria shouted, but I hardly heard her. I didn't hear anything but the rapid-fire beeping of the machine, slamming my hands into the glass that seperated me from Ann, a white wall going up halfway and then turning into a viewing window. I couldn't get in the door, but so help me I'd blast the damn thing down to get to her right now, every fiber of my being screaming to be near her, to get to her, to save her from this...this thing.

Panicked, nucleus pounding, panting and yet fearing nothing but Ann's safety, eyes locking onto the horrible, sick-looking blue veins that ran across her once-flawless red skin, the tanktop seared off by the cleaned-off antidote, now looking like someone ripped a hunk out of it near her right-hand ribs, the spider-webbing blue lines indicating where the antidote was spreading.

If only this antidote was a physical being. If only I could fight it, and I would. For her, I'd die fighting it, so long as it was gone and out of her, so long as she didn't look so...so weak right now, her hair slightly fanned on the pillow under her head, eyes closed, a look not as peaceful as sleep but no where near awake on her face, body weak, limp, with the veins slowly spreading.

"That machine's beeping too fast! Someone do something!"I shouted, the team of doctors(not Spryman's scientists, thank Hector) that had worked on trying to slow the antidote pausing a moment, but the next words didn't come from their mouths.

"It's supposed to beat that fast, Jones. She's a heat virus."

I spun around, the fury making me see red, and not only beause of that viral mother-'effer who had the goddamned _nerve _ to stand there and act all cool and calm, as if I weren't about to blow his damn head off!

"You!"I accused furiously, lunging for him, but Maria and Chief getting in my way. I almost hit them, anything to get them out of my damn way, because they didn't understand, they didn't get how much she meant to me. They didn't get that I might not be able to fight the antidote, but I could destroy the reason she was lying there dying in the first place!

"You did this! She's your damn _sister _ man! How the Hector could you do something like this?! Tell me!"I screamed, not caring if I sounded crazy, not caring about anything but her, and his infuriating look that was painfully apathetic, as if he didn't care that his sister was lying there dying because of him, even having his shades on with a frown on his damn face!

"Ozzy!"Maria exclaimed as I leaned forward, getting close to Thrax's face and screaming until I felt my own face turn red,

"She _trusted you!_ She _loved you! _ Even after you _hit_ her, even after you _left_ her and _rejected_ her, she still loved you! You were her brother, you were supposed to protect her from everything! So don't you dare stand here like some giant red ass who doesn't give a _damn _ about her! Because I know you do! I know that after everything you two went through, there's no way that you can stand here and not care that she's dying because of ___**you!**_ "

I panted, voice cracking as a hard lump formed in my throat, shaking in fury and agony, because my little girl was in there dying and here her older brother was, face unmoving. This man that she trusted all those months ago. The man that she learned the guitar for. The man she believed would take care of her. The silence was thick and tense, everyone silent and shaken, broken only when Drix floated in with the main doctor behind him.

Maria was the first to talk, looking over and asking, surprisingly worried about the girl she once didn't want to even be in this body,

"What's going on? Is she..."She cut off, and Drix paused.

"...The antidote got deep into her veins, but it didn't kill her immediatly because...well, it's meant to be injected...so she...well..."He paused again, voice coming out strained as I looked over at him, seeing his broken face looking out into the room. Sighed, looking down as he said, "If we don't find a counter antidote...she's only got two days."

It hit me worse than any bullet, any electric shock, any virus ever could. I was damn sure that my nucleus broke right then and there, fighting back tears that threatened to come to my eyes, that lump in the throat going down hard and painful as I looked down, gritting my teeth and squeezing my eyes shut. I clenched my fists. All she wanted was to do something good. Was this what she deserved?

I opened my eyes and glared up at Thrax, whose face still didn't change, looking like a damn statue as I grit my teeth at him, unable to stay here any longer. I spat at him darkly, voice wavering, bitter and angry,

"Hope you're happy, Thrax. You finally got your 48 hours."

I spun around and shoved the others out of my way, walking down the hall as Maria and Drix called after me, hearing them all follow me down the hall. Had I stayed, or looked back, I might have seen what no one saw, what Thrax made damn sure no one would see. I might have seen him, all alone, finally give. I might have seen him fall to his kneese. I might have seen him grasp the wall seperating him and Ann. I might have seen the look of pain on his face as he tore off his shades and rested his head on the wall. I might have finally seen the mighty Thrax crumple in agony. I might have finally seen his regret.

But I didn't turn around, instead I headed straight down the hall, the others silently following me. I did all I could think of, all that I could do with the least amount of functioning possible. I was going to get her hoodie for her, I was going to get her guitar, pick, and CD player, just in case. Because I wasn't going to let her go. I wasn't going to lose her. Not when I'd just gotten her back, not when she had so much to live for.

Not when I couldn't see myself living without her.


	7. How Do I Protect You?

_~Thrax~_

Damn Jones. Damn Immunity. If it weren't for him, if it weren't for his goddamned job, she wouldn't have left me. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have even wanted to go to Immunity. We'd still be a team. But no, Jones had to go stickin' his neck in my buisiness, had to go change my little girl's mind about everything, about me, about our goals. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have had to teach her a lesson, wouldn't have had to convince her that she chose the weaker side, wouldn't have had to fight her, wouldn't...because that's what I had to do. Her big brother had to teach her a lesson...

...But not this. This wasn't supposed to happen. Nah, this...this wasn't what I wanted. I never, _never _ wanted anything like this...I just wanted...I just... Damnit! I don't know what I wanted, don't know what I expected to come from attacking her, I was just _pissed._ Angry, that was all I could think of when I attacked her, when I followed her. That was what made my plan, that was what dictated a hell of a lot of my life and spit if it didn't work...normally. I just threw punches with her, and when she fought back I...

I didn't want this.

She lay there next to me, me in one of them stiff-ass visitor chairs, my feet propped up on another as I tried to keep my cool, tried to look like I didn't give a spit. Couldn't have Jones, couldn't have any of those cells or that pill seein' me broken up. I wasn't some sap, and that fear that I still got from them wasn't something I wanted to let go of...

But it almost seemed silly now. Yeah, silly, trivial, goddamned useless as those germs I always used as insurance. Because right now, all I saw was her. Her, laying there, eyes closed but face not relaxed, almost like she'd been blinking for a long damn time. Not sleeping. Her hair was splayed out on her pillow, fallen out of those nice dreads I'd always done for her. The ones she asked me to do when she was little, cuz she'd seen mine and harped on me until I did them for her, too.

And I'd done them every damn time afterwards, because...just because. Just because I felt like it was my job, a way to make her happy, and damnit if I didn't always want to make that kid happy. Seeing them out, it just didn't look right, so I had to fix it. I didn't give a damn if Jones or someone else noticed, it didn't mean spit. I just had to put it back in the dreads, had to focus on anything but what she looked like right now.

Because no matter how angry I was, how hurt, how ruthless or tough or _deadly_ , there was nothing that could knock me off my throne faster than seeing my little sister in a damn hospital bed. Those idiots had all these wires everywhere, one in her left arm, two in her right, not that they'd been able to put them in there without tellin' me exactly what the hell they were for.

But all the wires weren't what made it sick. Weren't what made me sick, as ironic as that sounds. Nah, it wasn't anything that these idiots had done. It was what I'd done. And that by far was the worst part. Her side, the blankets down by her hips, tank top seared away on the side I sat oppisit of, the side I never wanted to look at because everytime I did it just _hurt._

The bright blue veins, started at a long, thin line where she'd first rolled into that white shit I'd thought was nothin' more than street scum, half on her ribs and half on the curve of her waist. They streach out farther now, movin' every hour or so, the longest reaching around to her navel, little branches pulsating slowly, infecting her. Killing her, and all I could do was sit here.

Jones's words rang in my ears again, wanting to reach up in there and rip them out, to shove them back down his ignorant, good-for-nothing throat. I still don't know how I managed to keep a straight face as he shouted them at me, those damning words... I hated them, hated him. Because he was right. Because I _was _ supposed to protect her, that was somethin' I'd taken up responsibility of the second she was born. The second I saw her, I knew. I was supposed to protect that little girl, and I'd done a damn good job of it...

At least I thought I did. Guess I didn't do as damn good of a job as I once thought, if she was only doin' all of that 'risk-her-life' spit for my happiness, if she was put through so damn much, if she had to survive on her own for over a year... If she ended up dying, in a hospital bed. Because of me. The irony, I could almost laugh at it.

My thoughts were cut short as the door slid open, me still sitting with my shades on and arms crossed, looking up under the dark glasses as none other than Jones walked in, an odd arrangement of things in his arms. There was a silent moment between us, his eyes accusing and angry, looking from me to Ann almost as if he felt like he still had to protect her from me. As if I hadn't hurt her enough.

"Don't give me that look, Jones."I mused, his face scrunching up in anger.

"Sorry, didn't think you were having a _family reunion _ after what just happened."He spat angrily, a hostility in his eyes. I'd thought about that in the many hours I'd been alone with Ann, after his outburst, the hostility and fury that I'd never seen from this man before, never expected. And I wondered, did Ann really mean that much to him?

"Don't act like you know anything about this, Jones."I dismissed him, as he lay down a black and red hoodie at the foot of the bed, small enough for me to realize it must be Ann's. As if he knew what I'd gone through. As if he knew that this was the last thing I ever wanted. As if these past eighteen months were the greatest hell I could ever endure, having to learn how to live without her, without her smile or laugh or talks. As if I didn't want it all to end like this...

"Know anything about it? No. No you're right,"Jones said bitterly, swinging a sexy-looking guitar off his back and leaning it against the end of the bed, along with a CD player and a black, metal pick, "I _don't _ know, I don't know how someone could do this to their little sister."He said, voice dark and full of venom. As if he needed to repeat himself after the whole damn city heard him.

"Jones, I'm not the one that threw her in that antidote spit-"

"Right!"He snapped, interrupting me and glaring, having the pair enough to rip the seat from under my feet and sit hit own sorry ass down in it, me pausing a moment to control my anger before he went on, eyes now on Ann, narrowed and angry, "It ain't never your fault, right? Ann just happens to be dying after you beat the snot out of her. But no! Don't go blamin' her brother for nothin'."He mummbled the last part, slouching and looking at her, something in his eyes bothering me.

There was another silence, where his eyes were on Ann, worry in his brow, and my eyes on him, trying to keep a cool look on my face while at the same time worryin' about my Ann and wonderin' how she made friends this quick. Not like she ever talked to anyone but me, or had any people skills I knew about...

Then again, if she wanted to be on Immunity all along, maybe I didn't know as much as I'd have like about her. That thought but a bad taste in my mouth, and I leaned back, just lookin' at Jones, then at the things he brought.

"What's the guitar for, Jones?"I asked, and he clenched his jaw, then said in an accusing, low mummble,

"She learned the guitar to your songs." I froze a bit, finally feeling myself show a bit of surprise that I hoped that damn cell didn't notice. But I couldn't help it, never expecting...well, that. I mean, damn, first I was surprised that she actually still had that recording, remembering the day she made some of them, that smile on her face...

But more surprised, I moved onto, that she'd not just learned the guitar to them, but that she actually told Jones about them. Now, instead of just wondering why the hell she seemed so important to him, I was wondering why _he_ seemed to mean so much to _her. _ As far as I knew, Ann ain't ever played those for anyone, ever. Hell, even I've never heard 'em. And instead of bein' something stupid, like embarrased, I was more...angry. Curious.

Why was Jones so special?

"...Thrax."His tone caught me off guard, more sincere than anything, curious and sad. He frowned, still glaring but his voice didn't match his face, a softer kinda tone, as if he were bitterly curious.

"What?"I asked, carefully. He sighed, then looked over at me, a world of emotions in that man's eyes that I could decipher.

"If she meant so much to you, how can you just sit here?" I bit back a bitter response. A response I didn't want to hear. That maybe, for the first damn time in my life...I didn't know _how _ to protect her.

"Jones!"A young and annoying as all hell voice snapped, a teenage boy in his daddy's work clothes storming in angrily, Osmosis rolling his eyes and standing up angrily, getting in the boy's face as he snapped,

"Yo, Mayor, keep it down, huh? We got a terminal patient in here that I don't think needs more stress."

The young boy was this city's mayor? No wonder it was so damn easy to get in. The kid looked around Jones at Ann, me having moved silently and unnoticed as others entered the room, moving behind all of them. The Chief, lookin' like he needed to lay off donuts. A fine-lookin' woman in orange, probably on Immunity, too. That damn pill. The mayor. Great, the whole gang was here.

"Ann, right! Is she going to be okay? Have we found an antidote yet, because I was planning on asking her out on a dinner-date."The little punk said, and some internal instinct seethed, gritting my teeth and leaning forward, right behind the kid who still didn't know I was here.

"Wanna try that again?"I mused rhythmically, lighting my claw and sliding it inches from the boy's neck, the cell freezing and instantly beginning to shake.

"Wh-wh-who are you?!"He demanded in a cracking voice, me grinning a wide, toothy grin at the boy who thought he could date my little sister just like that. Uh-uh, I might be the reason she's here, but I could put him six feet under a hell of a lot faster than two days.

"Thrax, and you?"I asked coyly, speaking in his ear and seeing his eyes widen.

"Yo, get off him, you just lucky we haven't arrested your sorry ass yet!"Jones shouted, grabbing my wrist and allowing that puny mayor to go scampering. I spun to Jones, glaring as he let go of my wrist, eyes glaring right back at me with a new confidence that I didn't like. We stood like that for awhile, just glaring, trying to rip him to shreds with my eyes alone, and him the same.

After a few moments, that woman stepped between us and had the nerve to shove both of us away, me taking just one step back and looking at her like she was crazy and my next victim at the same time, but like Jones and Ann, she seemed to have a certain newfound confidence, crossing her arms at us and snapping in a hispanic accent,

"Yo, you two can have a moment later. Jones, we've got bigger fish to fry."She said, "Strepfinger's still on the loose, and we think we finally know what he's up to. A few inside snitches told us that he's planning something big, like some massive attack on a critical part of Hector. All these little crimes have just been distractions while he got his real plans under construction."

Jones instantly forgot about me, allowing me time to lean back and listen, watching with apathy.

"Wait, what kinda attack? Which vital part of Hector? When?"Jones fired off questions, the pill floating up and saying in a more professional kinda voice,

"We don't know the details, that's all we could get, but Strepfinger has become more of a threat than we first expected. If we don't act fast, all of Hector could be in severe danger."

"Which is why we need to find an antidote for the...well, the antidote, immediatly! We need someone with a criminal's point of view in order to look deeper into Strepfinger's motives!"The little mayor's voice floated into my head, not particularly paying any attention and thinking more about what I was gonna do if we found a cure for Ann...not even wanting to think about the alternative, when suddenly I noticed the room growing quiet.

I raised an eyebrow and looked around, suddenly aware that every pair of eyes was on me.

"What?"I deadpanned, and Jones suddenly blew up.

"Nu-uh, no way! We ain't just gonna...just gonna give up on Ann like that!"He shouted at the Mayor, who gave Jones a defiant look and snapped back,

"Listen, if we _do _ find a reverse antidote, then having two is better than just one, especially if this one's more qualified than the other! And if we don't..."The mayor cut off, me still confused as hell and wondering what these morons were talking about. Jones grit his teeth and said venomously,

"Then we just replace her, huh? We can't even trust him! Let alone let him help!"

"Uh, excuse me."I mused, everyone suddenly looking from the fighting two to me again, "What the Hector are y'all talkin' about, hm?" The Mayor puffed out his chest as if he were trying to be a big-boy, mildly amusing as he said, voice trying not to shake,

"Thrax, you're a wanted virus, known for destroying bodies and cities by breaking down the Hypo...Hypa..."

"Hypothalimus."I mused tiredly, rolling my eyes.

"Yes! That, and we're under perfect juristiction to arrest you! Believe me, I may be small, but our Immunity is a hell of a lot better than the one in that fat slob you tried to take down." I actually raised an eyebrow at the kid's nerve, almost impressed with the truth in his words. "But...we'll give you one chance to escape incarceration."He continued.

I could almost taste what was coming next, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets and wondering if they were dropped or just born this dumb.

"You can help us find Strepfinger, and then you'll be free of charges, so long as you don't try to harm the city of Hector in any way."The mayor said, the woman throwing her hands up and turning, exclaiming,

"Yeah! Let's just go and enlist _every _ virus that walks right into Hector, _alcalde estupido!"_ I paused a second, a silent second, then I just couldn't damn help myself.

I burst out laughing, turning and holding myself up by placing my claw-hand on the window, leaning over as I convulsed in just astonished laughter. They wanted me to help them? The ones that took my Ann-girl away from me? Please!

I suddenly stopped, straightening up and giving the mayor an amused look, his face both concerned and angry.

"Listen, maybe my little sister got caught up on the 'right side' of the system, but don't think every virus is just aching to help y'all out with your little problems, hm?"I mused, straightening up and smoothing back my dreads. "But thanks anyway, I needed that laugh, I really did-"

"Ebola works as Strepfinger's right-hand man."The mayor said in a surprisingly professional, serious tone. And I paused, the name itself igniting a flame of anger inside of me. I tensed, then slowly looked down at the kid through my shades. He might have been replaced from the shaking, trembling mess from before, standing with squared shoulders and a determined, serious look on his no-longer child-seeming face.

Damn, had to give this one some credit. He sure knew how to get his way.

"Ebola, you said?"I asked, despite myself actually...almost starting to reconsider. Any chance I had to splatter him against the wall was a chance I'd gladly take up, even if it meant workin' with Immunity for a moment, even if the reason I hated him in the first place was lying in front of me, dying, hating me for a damn good reason.

I looked at the mayor, seeing just a little kid with an entire damn city to run. And yeah, maybe I did see a little bit of Ann in him, but just a bit. Just the independent part, the troubled part... And this kid couldn't be so stupid as to not know that the second I'd gotten Ebola, gotten what I came for, then there was every chance in Hector that I'd turn and try to take this city down as my own. Yeah he knew...

But he also knew that any way to get rid of the current threat was worth it, and by the looks of things these guys were up against the wall. They'd worry about me later...and yeah, later would be too late for them, but that just made this whole thing a win-win situation. I got Ebola, they got Strepfinger. As for Hector...

I'd thought about it, yeah. Thought about it nice and hard. But every time I did all I could do was remember Ann saving Frank. See the girl layin' in that bed, dying because she wanted to save bodies. See all the trouble I'd already caused her.

"So, what do you say?"The mayor asked, Jones still giving me that suspicious look, and that just made this that much more rich. Jones had to have _my help. _ If that wasn't payback for takin' my baby, then I didn't know what was. I could feel the uneasy, nervous looks of the ones around me, but I didn't care. In fact, I soaked it in. Because this would benifit me in more ways than one.

I got Ebola. I got to torture Jones and the rest of them by making them need my help...and I'd be able to keep an eye on Ann, to stay here and make damn sure this thing didn't kill her. Cuz I knew those eighteen months would look like a fuckin' vacation compared to a life without Ann. A life without my little sister, knowin' I was the one that killed her in the end.

Nah, I wasn't livin' that way.

"A'ight, you got yourself a deal, Mr. Mayor."I mused, cracking my neck and the woman huffing, turning and saying,

"I'm getting a coffee."

"Oh, I'll go with you."The pill said like a puppy, following the huffing woman out the door as the chief cleared his throat, nodding and saying,

"Well, I'll go prepare a plan outline for you, Mayor Spryman." He, too, left awkwardly, leaving me, the mayor, and Jones.

"Good to know you're on board. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a birthday party to plan."The mayor said, instantly turning back into a child in my eyes as he left, me brushing past Jones as I took a seat again next to Ann, leaning back as Jones's shadow fell over me.

"You must think you're real smart, huh?"He asked, and I rested my head back, closing my eyes and needing a serious nap. "Yo!"He exclaimed, and I grit my teeth, hoping that if I ignored the cell then he'd leave me the hell alone. "Yo, viral motha'! I'm talkin' to you!" Just breathe...he'll go away if I stay still...

"Thrax-"

"WHAT?!"I shouted, sitting bolt-upright and seething, Jones sitting with a surprised look on his face, mouth a thin, scared line.

"Nothin'."He said quickly and then sat down and faced Ann. I rolled my eyes, leaning back and closing my eyes again. Of course, not a minute later Jones spoke up again, quieter.

"...I know you still care about her."

"How ya figure that, Jones?"I asked sarcastically, trying to play it off as I relaxed.

"You're sittin' here, aren't you?"

...I didn't respond, just waited a second and then stood, walking quickly past Jones and, for a reason I wasn't quite sure of, snatched the metal guitar pick without him seeing, barging out of the room to a silent Osmosis Jones, for once in his damn life. I walked, the hospital good and empty at this time of night, just walking down one hall until I found a small, empty coffee/waiting area. I slammed the door shut behind me, the noise almost disturbing in the silent hospital.

Finally alone, I slumped into the chair nearest the door, slouching over and looking at the metal pick in my hand. She'd learned the guitar to those stupid songs? Why? It was damn clear in her eyes that she hated me, and could I blame the kid? Sure, there was no way for me to know that she was downright miserable, but all the same it was never like I even considered that my baby wanted something that I didn't. I assumed we were that kind of a team.

I'd made a mistake. I'd tried my damn hardest to take care of that girl, but what if she was right? What if I was too damn selfish to see that she hated what we were doin'? What if my goals really did prevent me from seeing the real Ann? I mean damn, it was like...like she'd grown up in just a year and a half. That girl I fought...that wasn't the little Ann girl I'd know. Wasn't the girl that was scared of monsters under her bed, the girl that needed a lullabye, the toddler that played with my dreads, the child that cried when she skinned her knee, that needed a band-aid and a kiss to make everything in the world better...

Nah, this Ann was grown up. She had a serious fire in those brilliant blue eyes, a keen mind, a fighting spirit, and one hell of a right hook. She had her troubles. Yeah, for the first time I realized that Ann did have a damn messed up life. She had to do this all on her own, livin', learning, following her own goal, re-habilitating herself into a completely different mindset, hell every moral she'd ever been taught had to be changed all on her own. And I'd made her do that. I made her go through all of that, only to have her dying before she could really do somethin' I'd never taken into consideration. What _she _ wanted.

And damn, I wished I could fix this, fix all of it, with just a band-aid and a kiss. But she was older now, and that wasn't gonna fix it. I didn't know what really was. I sighed, opening my jacket and sliding the pick into the inner pocket, muttering to myself,

"Thrax, the hell have you done, huh?"

Outside the door, I heard a panic, then a steady, singular beep from a machine. Some poor patient, off somewhere on this floor. Their family surrounding them as they sucked in their final breaths. And I wondered if they hated the person that was supposed to protect them. If someone they loved put them in this hospital. If that person was watching them die, right now, as that annoying beep continued. And I wondered what they were feeling...what I would feel-

And then a thought hit me. A horrible, terrible thought. For just a second, before I burst through the door, before I shoved the Chief and that woman out of my way, not caring that I looked like a damn fool, before I damn near ripped that door off the wall, before I proved Jones right that yeah, I did care, before any of that happened, when I was still sitting in that chair in the waiting room, I remembered something that I'd noticed while I was coming in this hospital right after they took Ann here, something strange that I noticed.

Ann was the only patient on this floor.


	8. A Complicating Turn Of Events

_-Your guys' reviews are making me smile, thank you so much for your support!-_

_~Osmosis Jones~_

"Ann!"I screamed, Chief and Drix doing what they could to keep me back while they themselves cast frantic, terrified looks over to Ann, who was too damn still, too damn quiet, and too damn infected! I fought against the two, forgetting for a second that these were my best friends, just wanting to get over to her, to hold her and see her open her eyes again and laugh and do _something_ other than just lie there with that long, horrible beep screeching out over the room.

"I can't get a pulse!"One of the doctors shouted, and just after he did the door was litterally _ripped _open, and no one could react in time as Thrax burst in, shoving Maria and the mayor out of the way frantically and shouting, eyes wide and without his shades for once,

"What happened to her?!"

"The antidote reached her nucleus faster than we anticipated, we have no way of reversing it yet!"One of the doctors exclaimed, and Thrax's eyes flew wider, in anger and, for the first time since he'd gotten here, uncontrolled fear. Yeah, in that one moment, still half-struggling against Drix and Chief, I had to admit that I was a bit surprised to see Thrax actually pause and look...terrified. Terrified because he was watching his sister die, right in front of him. The little girl that used to be his whole world...

Slipping away. No, I couldn't let her go, not when she's got so much she still has to do, not when she was gonna take down Strepfinger and fix a permanent locker with Immunity! I wracked my brain, thinking, looking around frantically as the doctors ran around and shouted, Drix finally letting go as Maria placed a hand over her mouth, going instantly to the poor girl's side, Chief just trying to look collected, Thrax growing steadily tenser, in a way that I'd never seen him before, and the mayor-

The Mayor. Didn't he say somethin' about...metal...right? Yes, metal! The idea wasn't a second old in my head before I blurted it out, knowing that, Hector, this had zero chance of working, but it was worth a shot if it saved Ann!

"Spryman!"I shouted, and he looked up at me, more worried than I'd ever seen him, no longer that cool and serious mayor that he fronted awhile ago. Now, he looked more like a kid than ever. Which meant I had to step up to plate. "You said somethin' about metal, right? That it could repel the antidote?"I tried, and his eyes grew wide with uncertainty, everyone now looking at us except for Thrax, who seemed stuck in his own world.

"Y-yeah, but would that work?"He asked, not even trying to sound grown-up, now just a little kid watching a friend die. I threw out my arms and shouted,

"It's worth a shot!" He paused, then nodded shakily, that beep still deafeningly loud, my eyes looking at Ann as the mayor shouted,

"Well, you heard the man! Do something! Stick a needle in her chest! Hurry!" Hurry, hurry, _please._ I can't...I don't wanna lose my Ann girl...

I watched her, her heart stopped, body unmoving, feeling for just a fraction of a second as the doctor in charge unwrapped a needle with shaking and frantic hands, too many noises going on that I drowned out, looking at her and, damn, she was beautiful, but she wasn't supposed to be like this. My Ann girl was supposed to be awake, smiling, pulling jokes, keeping me from killing Drix, fighting bad guys...

A long beep. Hushed, frantic whispers, doctors shouting. Machine blaring. I watched, everything fading away, as the doctor sunk the needle deep into her chest, right over where the solitary, pulsating blue vein crept, stomach so tight I might be sick, terrified, shaking on the inside, still as stone on the outside, pleading, praying, begging. Please, please let Ann be okay. I can't lose her. I couldn't think of a life without her. I didn't want a life without her.

"Ann...girl _please._"I whispered, fighting back tears behind my eyes, the needle in there for a second...two seconds...three seconds...

Beep.

Beep. Beep. Beep, beep, beep, beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep.

"Oh thank Hector!"Maria exclaimed, and I was at Ann's side in a microminute. I leaned over and ran a hand across her face, brushing the dreads aside that I'd notice awhile ago that Thrax had put back in. I soaked it in, almost like her face was a drink, looking over every curve and every inch of her, seeing things I'd never noticed and things I never wanted to forget again. I literally felt myself almost shaking, panting and wanting now to cry in relief, the machine now beeping rapidly like it normally did, the doctors around us sighing and forming a circle, pointing to charts and discussing something in hushed voices.

I ran a hand along her cheek, feeling her smooth skin, brushing a thump across her jaw, never wanting to look away, never wanting to lose her ever again, everything around me seemingly inconcequencial compared to what just happened. Strep didn't matter. Immunity didn't matter. Just her, just having her right now, that's what mattered. Her face, her body, Ann. I never knew how much I wanted her until I didn't have her, for those horrible seconds because yeah, that's what they'd been. And Hector, I'd never ever let anything happen to her ever again. Not to my Ann girl...

Finally, when I felt like I'd memorized her features to the best of my ability for the moment, I looked up. No one was paying any attention to me, all just recovering from their own shock, this room full of people that loved her, that needed her no matter what they claimed. C'mon Ann, you can't leave us, look what'd be left behind.

Maria, even, was shaken, her hand supporting her forehead and massaging it as Drix held her in a hug, looking like he'd just seen a ghost with his eyes closed and worried creases on his brow. Chief was dabbing his forehead with a napkin, shaking his head like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Mayor Spryman was sitting in the chair at the end of Ann's bed,the one I'd sat in, his face in his hands. So many people who care about you Ann...

And then I saw Thrax. And I froze, because no one else might notice, but I did, and what I saw was something I'd been furious not to see before, but now that I did see it... It was unnerving. Shocking. And...yeah, a bit tragic. Because I'd never in a million years expected Thrax to look like this.

He was sitting a ways away from Drix and Maria, back against the wall and knees up, elbows on his knees with his face in his hands, fingers laced through the dreads as his face was still visible. He looked completely shaken to his charred core, actually visibly _shaking._ Yeah, big daddy Thrax was shaking, and bad, his face just slack in shock and disbelief. Almost like it finally hit him that he could lose her. That she'd be gone, forever.

And I had to admit...part of me actually did feel kinda bad for the sucker. I mean, yeah, it was his fault she was here, his fault she was tormented by him, his fault she lost the one thing she thought she could trust. But...I had to imagine it from his shoes for once. He'd raised this girl, from the second she was born to her seventeenth year. He'd protected her and shared countless memories, and all of a sudden she wants to do something different?

Maybe he made a mistake. Maybe he should have gone about it differently. We all make mistakes. His just cost him his entire life, lying in the hospital bed in front of him, and now standing here and knowing that he could be shaken up this damn bad, yeah, I felt bad for the guy. Never thought I'd be thinkin' that about Thrax...

"We have an issue."The head doctor broke our silence, my hand resting on her head, fingers laced in her dreads as I gave the tall, grey-bearded white blood cell an incredolous look.

"Really? What gives ya that idea, Sherlock?"I asked, and he held up his hands.

"Listen, I understand everyone's a bit shaken up, but we need to start thinking together if we want this girl to get better. The antidote got to her heart this fast, but we can't leave that needle in there forever, and switching them out could be just as deadly as the antidote in her veins. This means we need to find a cure, and that means right now."The man said seriously, and I looked around.

Everyone's eyes strayed, Thrax slowly standing, leaning his entire weight against the wall as I saw him try to control his shaking, a trembling hand reaching in and pulling out his shades, sliding them on to hide the dark shadows in and under his eyes.

"Well, let's not think about this in terms of an infectious disease, right?"Spryman tried, sitting up and smoothing out his hair again, and Maria nodded, crossing her arms as Drix floated beside her.

"Yeah! It's an antidote, so what can destroy antidotes?"Maria tried, the doctors nodding and thinking, me straightening up and exclaiming,

"Yo, Drips, you're kinda like a cold antidote, any ideas?" He rubbed his chin and hummed, then splayed out his hand and counted off on his fingers.

"Well, there's faulty math, chemistry, or application in the creation of the drug, but that antidote seems to be doing its job rather well. If the capsul is open or broken, or if there's a dent in the package-"

"Drix, this ain't no drug-store antidote, think about the actual chemical! What could stop an antidote that works perfectly fine and infects through the skin or injection?"I tried, Spryman frowing and asking,

"Well, we know metal repels it." I gave him a sarcastic face, wonderin' what kindergarden class they pulled this punk out of.

"You want us to inject Ann with metal?"

"Don't think so."Thrax finally spoke up, at least looking under control now, if not incredibly stiff. Spryman frowned and huffed, crossing is arms ans shouting,

"Well, think of something better, then!"

"Drix?"Maria asked, looking hopefully up at the pill as he concentrated on all those college-level little beads rollin' around in that tiny little head of his, mummbling things,

"Taken improperly, using heavy machinery, improper diet, wrong dosage, faulty product-"

"Yo, hold up."Thrax interrupted him, everyone's eyes on him, "Wrong dosage? Like if there's more infection than the drug can handle?" Maybe it was just his naturally creepy way of talking, but Drix inched back a bit at the thought of not being able to handle an infection, but all the same he nodded,

"Yes, exactly. If the product can't handle the illness, then it will be completely useless and eventually either disintegrate within the infection or leave the body."He recited perfectly, and Thrax nodded, walking towards the side of Ann with the infection. Instinctively, I inched closer, him not even casting me a look as he said smoothly,

"In that case, you might wanna move Jones. Unless I can kill two birds with one stone." I glared at him, seething as I leaned over and got closer to his face, both of us on either side of Ann.

"Wrong choice of words, hot head."I threatened, not about to let him do anything to Ann that I had to be away for. Suddenly, his right hand was grabbing my collar, and he pulled my face closer, lighting his left-hand claw bright and holding it close to my face, the Chief and Drix calling out and moving closer, but Thrax's shout stilled them.

"Yo! You want her to live or not? Cuz you take one more step an' I might not save your new little friend."He said harshly, me glaring at him as an anger was subsided with the realization that he was just as uptight about this as all of us were. I saw it in his eyes, the anger and the frustration, the pain. I whispered, so slow that no one but Thrax and I could hear it,

"We both know that ain't true."

He didn't answer me, but I moved back anyways. There was nothing he was about to do that would hurt her, I could feel it. Why, after he gave that reaction? So I stepped back, the room falling silent as Thrax moved over the torn edges of the tanktop, revealing the entire blue scar. I held my breath, Drix tense and still suspicious, the Chief, Spryman, and Maria watching with stressed eyes.

He took the lit claw and placed it barely on one end of the scar. At first, I was tense as Hector, about to pounce at any second, but when Thrax moved with a gentleness I didn't even think he was capable of, lightly and slowly moving the claw across her side, I relaxed. It was as if he was afraid to break her, a calm and concentrated look in his eyes as the claw moved more in a stroking motion, looking deadly as hell but moving light as a feather, all along the blue mark.

Once he got to the end, I noticed something. The blue mark was...changing. It was like someone mixed two colors that didn't match, a red hazing a film-like color over the blue, and I watched with wide-eyes as the hazed color spread up the veins, all the way to the ends. He traced back again, the deathly-weapon now a soft and fragile healing tool. The color slowly grew stronger, and my nucleus began to pound, a tingling hope rising up all over me, filling me, almost elevating me because Hector, this...

"It's working!"Chief exclaimed quietly, seeing a small twitch of hope on Thrax's face, tracing back and forth along the line.

"Of course!"Drix whispered, almost as if no one wanted to break the moment, "Ann's a heat virus, and that antidote is meant to freeze out anything that causes a fever! By adding a heat that's already in her veins, from her bloodline no less, it can snuff out the cold!"

I looked over at Ann again, and what I saw almost made me fall to my knees and thank the sperm that swam fastest in whatever body she was born in. I wanted to jump, to cheer, to explode! Because, right there, right in front of me...it was changing. Nah, not just changing. That sorry-as-a-welt antidote was sayin' asta-la-vista to Ann's body!

The room literally lit up when it started to quickly and dramatically pulsate red, each time leaving behind more and more red, the smaller veins dissapearing first, followed by the larger ones, until there was just one of them, slowly, slowly, shrinking, dissapearing.

"Oh Hector, it's really working!"Maria gasped, as Thrax continue his slow, delicate strokes, the blue fading and fading, finally revealing Ann's perfect skin, the only thing left now being the rapidly-fading blue line that had stemmed the veins.

"...Look at that..."I whispered, finding a smile onto my face for the first time since Drix and I found Ann's apartement empty and deep, red scratches on the floor. And damn, it felt fine, not as fine as Ann, but fiiine. After a few more minutes of heat, that line went running for the hills, leaving not even a scar or any indication that Ann had once been dying from her form of an infection.

"Yes!"Drix exclaimed, floating up and down as I ran up to the foot of the bed, looking up as, for the first time in a day, Ann's face relaxed, and I finally got to see her sleeping again. That beautiful, blissful, angelic face, and damn, I didn't notice quite how lovely she was until right now. I swear, my nucleus was gonna burst from the sheer happiness, the relief, the exauhstion. Hector, I wanted to laugh! Laugh because she. Was. Okay.

"Her vitals are all normal, and there's no trace of the antidote anywhere."The head doctor said happily as he removed the needle, placing it on a tray and looking at the monitor with a smile on his face, everyone groaning in relief, Chief throwing up his hankie that he'd been dabbing sweat with, Maria hugging Drix and, that dog, he blushed and patted her back awkwardly.

Spryman stood up and gave out an actual 'whoop', before clearing his throat and trying to compose himself again.

"Well, that's a relief."He tried to sound grown up, but I wasn't having that. I jumped way up in the air and cheered, singing,

"Uh-huh, Ann's a-okay ladies and gentlemen! Please refrain from thanking me so fast, it was my duty as an Immunity officer and Ann's partner in crime-stoppin', the brave, the noble, the savior-" I cut off as I looked up, seeing Thrax seething right next to me. I gave a nervous laugh and held up my hands, pointing to him and saying, "Thrax, my man! Haha, ya know, I always knew-"

"Shove it, Jones."He snapped, and I did exactly what he said. Maria sighed and streached, saying,

"Oi, I need some rest."

"Nope, we need to act fast! Now that Ann's alright, we still have to worry about Strepfinger. l want everyone to meet me at the station so we can discuss the plan to intercept Strepfinger tonight!"Chief announced, and my aching back complained, but ace detective Osmosis Jones was up for any challenge, now that he had his partner back.

"I'm gonna wait for Ann to wake up, y'all go ahead without me!"I called, Drix waving as he, Maria, Chief, and Spryman left, the doctors quickly following. I saw Thrax turning to leave, and I faced his back.

"Yo, Thrax."I called, and he stopped, back still to me.

"What, Jones? You think that I'll bail now that everyone's preocupied with Ann's recovery?"He insinuated, and I gave a pause, placing my hands in my pockets and frowning.

"...I was jus' wonderin' if you wanted to wait for Ann to wake up."I said quietly, and saw him stiffen a bit, and then relax again.

He moved towards the door, brushing aside the part that he'd ripped through on his big-bro rampage, throwing over his shoulder in his normal cool voice, laced with bitterness,

"Jones, I don't wanna burst your bubble, but I'm the last person she wants to wake up to."

With that, pullin' some cool-guy exit, he was gone. Reminding me that, while I might know something that Ann wouldn't belive in a million years, that I was having trouble believing, there was no way this changed things. And yet...I was hoping it might. I hated Thrax for what he did to her...but maybe there was more to it than I could see. Either way, I pulled up a chair and reclined, hands behind my head and eyes closed.

After all this crazy, I needed a siesta.

_~Ann~_

_"Thrax! Thrax!"_

_"What is it, baby girl?"He asked, reaching a hand down and brushing it across my cheek, sitting back in a couch while we camped out in some abandoned, scary-looking warehouse. I reached up a tentative, curious hand and brushed some of his dreadlocks, the ones that looked so pretty that I was prepared to beg him for them._

_"Can you put these in my hair? Pretty please!"I asked, and he rolled his eyes, resting his head back and closing his eyes._

_"Tomorrow, baby girl. Big brother's whiped from gettin' us into this joint."He muttered, but I frowned, jumping across and landing on his lap, pulling at his trenchcoat and begging._

_"Please! Pretty please with sprinkles and thykaloids on top! I promise I'll be good!"I pleaded, Thrax placing an arm over his eyes and saying grumpily,_

_"You're good anyways, Ann girl. Besides, you're five years old, whatcha gonna do with dreads when you got that pretty hair from your mama's genes, huh?" I frowned, pushing out my bottom lip as I shook the bangs from my eyes, the shoulder of my too-big, black-and-red-striped sweater falling off on the right side._

_"I wanna look like you!"I said matter-of-factly, Thrax chuckling, the sound alone making me lean forward and press my ear to his chest, his arm instantly wrapping around me and brushing his claw through my hair._

_"Now baby, you really wanna look like big, scary old me?"He asked, and I smiled and nodded._

_"Uh-huh!"_

_"Kiddo, you got issues."_

_"Please! Please please please pleeeeease!"_

_"Alright! Hot damn, I shoulda sold you when I had the chance."He finally conceeded, and I was so happy that I ignored the last thing he said, instead giggling as he lifted me off his lap and turned me around, sitting me back down. Slowly, he drug a claw down my head, seperating the different parts of my hair. I sat still, the whole time, just excited to finally have something that looked like Thrax._

_"Now why do you wanna look like me, huh baby girl?"He asked, as I sat patiently. The answer at the time seemed like the simplest thing in the world, like most things seemed to kids my age. Therefore, I said it in a very nonchalant, to-the-point manner._

_"So that, if you ever leave, I'll still have you." He paused in his work, and I squirmed impatiently. Instead of continuing, he leaned over me and asked,_

_"Now Annie, what makes you think that'll happen, huh?" I shrugged, still not understanding why this conversation was relevant to my hair, saying airily,_

_"What we do is dangerous, right? There are big, bad people out to get us. Something could happen to you or me."_

_"Hey now,"He said, resting his chin on my shoulder and giving me a kiss on the cheek, "Big Daddy Thrax ain't gonna let anythin' bad happen to ya. No germ or goddamn Immunity cop's ever gonna hurt ya. I'll be right here, protectin' ya." In an innocent reserved only for children, I looked off into the distance and asked,_

_"That means you'll never leave me, right?"_

_ He chuckled, sitting back and finally resuming his duty, taking the individual locks in his hands._

_"That's right, baby. Me an' you, forever."_

__ "...So girl, anyways, about that date I was talkin' to you about next week."

A voice, familiar, was what first startled me. Because I hadn't expected to hear any kind voices where I was going, cuz I was damn sure it wasn't gonna be anyplace good. How could it be, after everything I'd done? Hell, I hadn't even had a chance to change things, not before I was doused with a nice helping of poison. It didn't seem fair, but at the moment it didn't really matter.

I was dead, what more was there? No more Ozzy, no more Drix, not even Spryman or Maria or Chief. No one that I knew, just fleeting moments lost in the little time I'd been alotted to change my life. And it sucked, but what was there to do? I'd failed. Thrax won. I could only hope that Ozzy could stop him like he did before, without me this time. At least that horrible, bitter, burning cold was gone.

In fact, I felt pretty damn good, if not a bit warmer than usual, but that was beyond pleasent when I compared it to what I'd been tormented with before. Come to think of it, wasn't I supposed to be feeling hotter than warm? I mean, I wasn't one to buy into the human's ideas of the afterlife, but hey, if it existed I kind of expected it to be...hotter. Or maybe it was hot, and my body temperature just made me immune to some of it. That was comforting.

"Aw, c'mon girl! Listen, I can take you to this nice place near the ear, has a nice, romantic feel to it around ten, maybe nine thirty?"

There's that voice again, but it couldn't be real. Probably just a hallucination...

But it sounded too real. Something about it tugged at my reality, and for a second I tried to feel through the darkness... And it was different. Whereas before it was like I was swimming in a pool of memories, good and bad, hands moving at nothing, this actually felt like I was moving my physical body, not the one in my mind. In fact...I could have sworn I felt sheets under my hands.

And maybe even a pillow under my head. Slowly, my senses seemed to pick up on more things, like the feeling of intrusions on my arms, one in my left and two in my right. Something like a blanket over my legs, and a slight chill everywhere but one, long streak on my right side where I could have sworn the cold once was. I smelt stale and sterilized latex and tasted a bitter something, like that taste in your mouth when you wake up in the morning.

But that's nonesense. Because I was dead...right?

"Aw, don't be that way! I'm Osmosis Jones girl, soon-to-be Immunity legend!"

Osmosis. Ozzy. There was no doubt that was his voice. And he was hitting on a girl.

Yep. I'm awake.

Slowly, testing it out to see if it would actually work, I opened my eyes. It started with a small sliver of light, but it was too harsh at first and I had to flutter my eyes a bit to allow them time to transition. Finally, once I felt I was fully able to open my eyes though dumbstruck on how I could possibly be awake after what happened, I looked over to where Ozzy's voice was coming from.

There he was, reclining in what looked like a plastic hospital chair, an arm behind his head and talking on a phone, looking up at the ceiling.

"I know this spot behind the eye-"

"Has the perfect view, right?"I asked, and Ozzy waved a hand at me.

"Shh, I'm talkn' here."He mummbled, and I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to get it.

"So anyway, as I was sayin', it's got this nice area near the cornea, nice and private for- ANN!"He exclaimed, the phone flying somewhere behind him as Ozzy finally spun towards me, face shocked and happy at the same time, like this was the single greatest thing he'd ever seen. I gave him a small smile, still a bit fuzzy as to what happened and where I was.

"Girl, you're finally awake!"He exclaimed, looking like he was taking all of his strength to not tackle me, practically on the edge of his seat.

"Oz, where am I?"I asked, feeling stiff and a bit weak. Ozzy seemed to soften, sitting fully on his chair and pulling it right up to the side of the bed, reaching a hand forward and placing it on my arm softly.

"You're in the hospital, Drix and I rushed you here after you fell into that nasty gunk. How ya feelin'?"He asked, and I looked down, seeing the aftermath of the antidote. I had one needle in my left arm, two in my right. The right part of my tank top looked like someone poured acid on it, completely burned and reveling a red, smooth abdomen without one hint of antidote, me laying in a hospital bed with the covers around my hips.

I laid my head back, and sighed.

"Confused. What happened to the antidote,"And then I paused, remembering exactly why I'd fallen into it in the first place. I snapped my head towards Ozzy and exclaimed, "What happened to Thrax?! Did we get him, is he stil out there-"

"Woah woah!"Ozzy said playfully, reaching over and brushing a hand over my hair...which felt considerably different from before, but familiar in a way that I knew instantly what was done to it.

"Who put my hair back in dreads?"I demanded, and a look passed over Ozzy's face, like he'd rather not tell, or that the answer was...complicated. Now I was both pissed, scared, and confused, wondering exactly what happened and how long I was asleep.

"Well, see, that's a funny story. A funny, long, story."Jones mummbled, scratching the back of his head as I gave him a no-nonesense look. He chuckled lightly and said, trying to make it sound better than it was, "Ya see...you've been asleep for about a day...and boy, _a lot _ happened."

"Like what, Ozzy."I said in a measured tone, and he rubbed his hands together, saying a bit nervously and only making me more curious and on-edge as to the mystery surrounding my recovery,

"Weeelll, you see, Thrax was here-"

"Did we arrest him?"I asked, seeing that as the only logical thing to do...but by the look on Ozzy's face, he did exactly what he always did. The most illogical thing possible. I narrowed my eyes and scolded warningly, "Osmosis Jones..."

"Listen, it was the mayor's idea."He tried, holding up his hands in defense.

"What was?"I asked sharply, not liking the turn this had taken. Ozzy took in a deep breath, a small silence as he tried to cusion the words by saying them rapidly, but not rapidly enough for me to not catch them.

"WedecidedtoletThraxhelpuscat chStrepfingerinreturnforhisf reedom!"

...

A long, drawn-out silence followed his words, and for a moment he paused, peeking over his hands with wide and worried eyes, me feeling something hot and furious building up in me.

"...Ann girl?"

"**HE DID**_**WHAT**_**?!"**


	9. The Past Can't Change the Future

_~Ann~_

"Ann, girl, now let's try to talk this out!"Ozzy tried, but I barely heard him as I stormed through the center of the police station, officers and desk clerks shrinking back in surprise and fear as I felt myself leaving lava-like imprints in the floor with my feet. I wouldn't be surprised, not with the absolute _fury _ flowing through me, my entire body hot with anger and betrayal and downright frustration. This might be the worst, most idiotic thing I'd ever heard of, and I didn't care if Spryman really _was _ the mayor, I'd wring his little neck until he understood that he knew nothing about how dangerous Thrax was, that this wasn't one of those things were everyone followed his orders because he was important.

"Oh, this ain't gonna be pretty."Ozzy groaned nervously, and he was right. This was gonna be downright ugly. I couldn't believe that after he tried to kill me, after he killed hundreds of people, after threatened Hector, that the Mayor would actually consider him to take down Strepfinger! I could feel the anger buzzing in my veins, my teeth gritted as the door got closer, seeing the figures behind the translucent material. I reached my hand up and lit the nails, stepping hard and angrily with Jones hopping behind me over the glowing red footprints.

"Yo, whatchu gonna do with...oh no, Chief just got that door-!" I cut him off by bringing my arm down with all my strength and fury, ripping through the membrane-like material and storming into the suddenly-silent and shocked room. "...Replaced..."Jones finished behind me.

"SPRYMAN!"I screamed, the small mayor jumping in the chair he sat in behind the desk, Chief behind him, Maria next to the desk and Drix on the other side. I seethed with rage, the mayor's eyes suddenly clouded in fear and surprise as he stuttered out,

"A-Ann, what's-" I slammed my hand so hard onto the desk that a few red veins of heat spread out over the surface, Spryman scooting back and now looking genuinly shocked. As if he expected me to take this well!

"What the _HELL _ do you think you're doing, making a deal with Thrax?!"I screamed, face inches from his as I leaned over, Ozzy sliding right behind Drix from my perifrial vision and peeking only his eyes out. I knew that I was causing a scene, and that the officers and desks clerks had cleared out of the area around us out of both respect of privacy and fear. Mainly fear.

But I didn't care. This wasn't going down, not after what just happened. I wasn't letting him ruin my chances at redemption, wasn't going to let my future fall back to my past.

"Do you have any _idea _ how dangerous he is, let alone untrustworthy?! Why the hell would you ever team up with him, and without my own damn permission!"I continued, not allowing him a word in edgewise as the others inched back, Spryman looking like he wanted to melt into his chair completely and hide. "He isn't one of those guys who'll listen to your orders just because 'you say so', he's a dangerous virus who'll use the closest opportunity he has to kill Hector!

"Did him trying to kill me not mean anything? You still thought it was a good idea to let that homicidal pathogen actually help us catch another virus? Or did you not care that I was near death just a few hours ago? Did that just slip your mind? Did it not matter? Because I swear if you answer wrong I'll turn you into a barbeque'd-"

"As, _flattering,"_ I was interrupted by a voice that made me coil, "As you're remembering me, I think I'mma have to interrupt you, baby."

For a few seconds, I coiled, I glared, and I grit my teeth. Never before had I been so...not even angry. No, not at Thrax. At Spryman, Hector yes, but Thrax... It was a hurt, a pain so intense that it looked like pure fury to anyone watching. I spun around, hair whipping my neck after having put it back in a ponytail, and pressed my glowing pointer-finger nail right under his chin.

For a second, we both just stood there, Thrax with his head up slightly to avoid sinking into the glowing, hot nail that would have already killed anyone who wasn't us, me glaring daggers and him giving a frown and narrowed eyes that weren't exactly angry, more cautious and suspicious, very measured, almost as if he were hiding something.

The moment ended, and his grin fell onto his face, that grin I used to love and now hated with every fiber of my being. He looked down, still keeping his head elevated enough, and asked cooly,

"Just what do you expect to do with that, huh?"

"I can think of a few things."I snarled through gritted teeth, moving in closer and glaring up at him, the pain ripping through my chest just at looking at his nonchalant look, the utter carelessness in his eyes, when I'd just been dying. Then again, he was the one trying to kill me...

"Alright, calm down you two!"The mayor tried, having recovered behind me, neither Thrax nor I moving. "Hey! I said cut it out!"He shouted again, and this time I yanked back my arm quickly, threateningly, still glaring up into his all-yellow eyes, a dread falling into his face that he smoothed back completely nonchalantly. Just the fact that he _could _ do that, the fact that he wasn't behind bars or out of this damn body, the fact that I hadn't only failed to capture him, but that he was being offered something he didn't deserve, made my cytoplasm boil.

"Listen, Ann, Strep needs to be taken down by the time this birthday party rolls around, and with two people who have an expert look into the criminal underground and how their minds work this job should be over and done with way before that deadline! After that, Thrax leaves the body and you have your Immunity badge."Spryman said, as if it were the best plan in the world.

I knew that tone of voice he was using. That tone he used the first time I tried to convince him that Thrax was here, the one where he made up his mind and if I fought against it then I'd be threatened with being 'fired' or 'kicked out of the body' again. That tone where it was all useless, and once again life was stacking the cards so high against me that I couldn't see around it. Couldn't see a moment where I actually accomplished something that I wanted.

I seethed in silent acceptence, knowing Thrax, looking into his eyes and just knowing that, even if he helped us defeat Strep, that wouldn't end it. No way, not Thrax. It might already be past his deadline, but he never passed up a chance to take another victim under his name, another step closer to the medical books. He won. Again. For now.

The mayor was too self-absorbed to see it, but I'd never be able to overlook it. Thrax's real motives, his real self. The moment I saw it, I'd never be able to unsee it. He didn't help anyone, only himself, and if I had to go along with Spryman's destructive, misunderstanding plans, then fine. I'd do it. It wasn't fair, but I was getting the feeling that my life never would be.

I looked a bit over my shoulder, saying quietly and damningly,

"Is that all you care about? That damn birthday party? Fine. If I'm the only one that actually cares about Hector, don't you dare get angry when I say 'I told you so' when he lies to you..." I paused, looking back up at Thrax's emotionless face, saying spitefully,

"It's what he's best at."

I didn't see the look on his face, just immediatly brushed past him and walked quickly and silently back out the door. I could feel the eyes on my back, but I didn't care. Because my entire body, my entire phsyce, was just...crashed. It was tormented, torn apart, and frankly I'd been through too damn much in the past 24 hours to even the pride to deny the fact that I was about to break down crying.

Because damnit, I really had trusted him, and I knew he wanted to hurt me...but I never imagined he'd want to kill me. And now that he had, I had to see his face again, every day, until we caught Strepfinger, and even then he was leaving with something that I fought every damn day for. That I struggled for, that I killed myself over, that I changed my entire life for. Freedom. And he got it free.

It might be in the damn name, but that wasn't how it worked.

The entire walk home I was seething, head down and ignoring the odd looks at my appearence because, yeah, I looked like spit. My tank top was still torn, and I looked like I was both about to punch someone and cry at the same time. But I didn't care, barely registered that I'd even made it home until I slammed the door behind me and, finally, upon seeing the empty apartement that I'd had my best and worst memories in, I crumpled.

My face buried into my knees, my arms wrapped around my stomach, body aching from the inside and my nucleus literally cracking in two. I took in a deep, jagged breath, the one that let you know 'okay, you're about to have a seriously bad moment', and let out a quiet, breathy sob. With it I felt the tears well up, blinking once, twice, before they rolled past my lower lid and trailed cold trails down my cheeks.

Goddamnit. My life had been so damn simple before. So why was it one big, ugly mess now? Why did I still hurt that Thrax had been lying all the time? Why did it hurt more thinking about how things used to be then what I wanted them to be? I wanted to be a family, be on Immunity, stop running and have Thrax, Ozzy, and Drix. I wanted everything, I wanted the perfection of Ozzy's words, of starting over.

But I couldn't have everything. I didn't have Thrax. I didn't have Immunity. I only had a murder attempt by my own big brother and the same old emotional issues. I shook my head, still in my knees as another tear fell, jaw clenched so tight it hurt, wondering why I ever thought I could be an Immunity cop. Why? Yeah, I wanted to do good, but did I honestly think that someone with my life could start over? I'm just a damn fool...

The door opened, but I didn't look. It closed softly, and feet moved lightly across the floor to the bed, where something sounding like my cd player, hoodie, and guitar were dumped onto the bed.

"Not now Ozzy."I said, trying to keep my voice in check.

"Not Ozzy, the actually competent officer."The voice of Maria surprised me, and I looked up without even taking not of my tears, a fresh one on my cheek and making its way down. She, the woman who was my biggest anti-fan, sat criss-cross in front of me with a nonchalant, kind smile that...that almost looked sisterly. Caring...but this was Maria. She hated me, so was she just here to mock me?

I shrunk back and glared, saying in a shaky voice that I didn't have the energy to cover up,

"If you wanna beat on me again, get in line." Instead of a glare, she gave me something entirely different. A sigh. And a shrug.

"Listen chica, I know I haven't been exactly supportive of you..."She paused, and we locked eyes before she conceeded, "Alright, I've been a _perra_ , big time. But that...that was like putting me in your situation." I raised an eyebrow, wondering what she meant and why she seemed to be non-hostile towards me for once. She ran a hand through her large ponytail and said, a half-smile on her face and sad, apologetic, sympathyzing eyes,

"When I was a little girl, this real bad virus attacked Hector. Went by the name of Citis, and I just happen to live right in the appendix. We'd just moved here on a blood transfusion, so we weren't exactly rollin' in the carbs, if ya know what I mean, and the appendix was the only place we could afford. When Citis tried to kick us out so he could take over, my dad refused..."She went quiet, but I knew how the story ended.

I sniffled, wrapping my arms around my legs and looking at Maria with curiosity and...yeah. Yeah, respect. I didn't know why she was telling me this, but...it was just surprising. Surprising to hear something coming from Maria that made me actually feel like we could relate to each other, even if it was in the most tragic of ways. I looked at her, seeing her gazing off into space as if remembering something, that half-smile still bitter on her lips, and I thought of all those words she'd snapped at me a few days ago.

Back then, I just thought she didn't want to give me a chance. But now...maybe it was all just how I felt right now. Life ruined by a virus, wanting to do something good in our lives, and having to team up with a virus in the end. Hm, who woulda thought.

"...I'm sorry I said those things though. Hector, you're one of the most dedicated people I've ever seen in years on this buisiness if you're willing to jump right back in after, ya know, _dying._ In the moment I was just...underinformed."She continued, now looking back at me. I shrugged this time, saying calmly,

"You couldn't have known...guess we're both in the same boat now, huh? Except you can trust me."

"What you mean?"Maria asked, and I shook my head, looking towards the back where I'd snatched up my jacket, seeing the rips in the aftermath of the fight.

"I can't trust Thrax. How could anyone? Especially after he...after he tried to kill me."I said, voice catching and me having to swallow before continuing. There was a small silence, and then a chuckle.

"Oh chica, Osmosis really didn't tell you a lot, did he?"Maria asked, almost amused as I looked back at her, now utterly confused.

"No, I kinda lost it after he said Thrax was gonna help us catch Strepfinger after just killing me."I said sarcastically, and Maria shook her head, the soft and kind smile back on her pretty face as she leaned forward, me sitting cross-legged now and her placing her hand on my knee.

"Listen sister, I might not know spit about you and Thrax, but I can tell you what I saw: He was hurtin'."That one sentence shocked me and made me instantly skeptical all at the same time, Maria not allowing me time to talk as she went on, "Man, I've never seen someone so upset in my life, even if he didn't show it all the time. When you flatlined, damn, I thought he was gonna have his own nucleus failure. Man, he was a bit bipolar there for a sec, but...sweetie, he didn't mean to throw you into the antidote.

"It was there on the ground and the momentum made you roll into it. Ozzy told me he didn't even know what it was until Oz explained it to him, and from the look on his face when they managed to keep you alive for a little bit longer...spit, he looked like he wished he'd never laid a finger on you."

...My heart and my head were saying two different things as she paused, and I was just sitting there, listening, trying to sort them out. Try to unravel the strings. Thrax...okay, maybe he hadn't explicitly tried to kill me, remembering now rolling and then falling into the antidote. But feeling guilty about it? The extent to which Maria was describing it couldn't even be half the truth... I mean, he looked like he didn't give a spit that I'd just been dying back in the police office, remembering that nonchalant look, that careless smile...

But Thrax was good at hiding how he really felt. I'd been witness to that on more than one occasion, his impecable ability to mask any 'weak emotions' that he didn't want others seeing. Could that really have been...?

"But...Thrax..."I tried, and Maria gave a coy smile.

"Sweetie, how do you think you woke up?"She asked, and I paused. It had completely escaped my mind, the fact that I really shouldn't be alive right now... "Drix realized that, if you have the wrong dosage of anything, then it can be reversed. If there's too much infection for the antidote, then the antidote will go away." She leaned forward more and said in a quiet, happy voice, "Ann, Thrax drug that creepy-ass claw thing along your side until every damn vein was gone, and then some. Hector, it was his idea to use the method."

She sat back, holding up her hands and saying,

"Hey, I'm not saying that it forgives everything, but at least you know he didn't want to kill you." How reassuring.

I paused, thinking things over before continuing on...and Maria was right. Even if I assumed that Thrax...felt bad, maybe, about what had happened, it didn't erase everything else. Nothing, I felt, could erase what he'd done to me. I'd never forgive him, not for all those years of lies, and nothing could make our relationship perfect again. This wasn't a puzzle piece or a broken glass you could glue together again, there would always be that jagged edge, that missing piece that could never be found.

And despite all of this, the mere fact that he hadn't tried to kill me almost made this easier.

"...Okay, you're right."I nodded, and Maria leaned over.

"You're damn right I am! Now c'mon, pretty girl, whipe those tears off your face. We've got a big night tonight, and I think you deserve a girl's day."She said, lightly brushing the tears off my face, giving me an air of comfort and sisterhood, though we'd just shared our first words with each other that weren't hostile.

I gave her a confused look and asked,

"What do you mean?" She stood, reaching her hands down and pulling me to my feet and I sniffed for the last time, her face now excited as she opened the door and said,

"You're comin' to my place. Tonight we have to bust this big meeting for Strep at the Blackhead Bar, and you've gotta look less like a cop and more like a...well, virus!"

"I think this'll do."I mused, holding up my lit-up claws with a deadpanned face...but still followed her out the door. As odd as it sounded under the circumstances, a 'girl's day' actually sounded...kinda nice, after everything I'd gone through...

Now just to figure out what the hell a girl's day was.

_-Four Hours Later-_

"Drix, really?!"I exclaimed, sitting cross-legged on the orange-sheeted bed in the bedroom, different from my apartement where it was just one big room. Maria's place had a seperate bedroom and guest room, with the kitchen and living room making up the space where you first entered.

"Hey, he's a big, strong guy with a good heart. Don't see why not!"Maria defended, sounding slightly embarrased as I just laughed at her recent confession. It honestly felt like four years, not four short hours, that we'd gotten to know each other in. I shook my head at the thought of Maria actually having a 'crush' on Drix, but when I thought about it he did seem to get a bit closer to her than necissairy, and defend her a lot when Ozzy complained.

She threw some pink sweater out of the walk-in closet she was in, looking for an outfit for both of us for tonight. She'd already managed to hold me down and put on some eyeliner, very light, and mascara before I threatened to tell Drix.

"I guess, it's just weird to think of Drix being...I don't know, romantic."I explained, leaning forward on my elbows as I sat cross-legged.

"Please, as if you and Ozzy don't have enough of that!"She joked, and I stiffened. Woah, wait, Ozzy? And Me? What did that have to do with _anything _ romantic?!

"Wh-what?!"I exclaimed, and she laughed, poking her head out as her now-straightened hair fell past her shoulder beautifully, some glittery blue eyeshadow that matched her skin tone shining above thick black lashes and glittery lips.

"C'mon girl, don't hold out on me after I told you about Drix! What happens here stays here, after all."She winked, but I still felt the blush cross my face and a strange twist in my gut.

"But Ozzy and I...we don't have anything...like that, do we?"I asked, stuttering and stumbling as I thought about Ozzy and how he was my best friend, never imagining him as anything more, ever. Hector, he spent half his time hitting on other women!...Then again, the other half was spent with me...but did I...did he...?

"Girl, I've seen Ozzy chase after every female anything in this body, but when he looks at you, talks to you, mmm! It's like he's floating up in the hair follicles. I mean, I swear I've never seen him so upset as when you were dying. Man, between him and Thrax, it was one big angst-fest. He never left your side, you know."She said, throwing more clothes onto the floor.

I felt a nervousness well up inside of me, thinking of Ozzy in a...romantic?...way. I mean...it was Ozzy! Ozzy that...Ozzy that changed my life...Ozzy that made me laugh...Ozzy that saved me...Ozzy that gave me that feeling. Right, that weird, fluttery, wonderful feeling in my chest, that warmth when he held me, that protective feeling...

Suddenly, I ducked my head, asking quietly,

"..You think...I mean, I've never had a crush before. How's it supposed to feel?"

"Well, how do you feel when you're around Ozzy?"She asked. I bit my lip, feeling a bit embarrased, and then said,

"Well...my stomach gets all tight, and I feel all tingly, and warm, and protected, and...happy. Really, really happy."

"Yep! You're jonesin' for some Osmosis!"Maria joked, and I laughed, "Well, if anyone's gonna be a perfect match for an oddball like Jones, it's a virus that wants to fight diseases. Here!"She suddenly exclaimed, and walked out of the closet wearing her outfit, a tight black skirt and orange off-the-shoulder half-shirt.

She threw something a nice, deepish red at me, catching it before it covered my face.

"If that don't get you noticed by Jones, then I don't know what will!"She exclaimed, as I stood and held the dress out. My eyes widened, looking at the short, tight-looking, strapless dress.

"...Okay, I don't care if he doesn't want to, Thrax'd kill me if I wore this."I said, feeling the soft fabric. Maria plopped down on the bed and pulled out some nail polish, begging to apply it as she said,

"Please, you're not a little girl anymore! Under all those jackets and hoodies you've got a bod to die for!" I blushed even deeper, but something inside of me, probably some long-dead female hormone, was actually excited to wear this thing. I undressed, Maria whistling and making me laugh, picking up a shirt from the floor and tossing it at her.

She laughed right back, allowing me time to remove the straps from the bra I wore and pull the dress on. It was definitly tight, but not in the unflattering way. In fact, when I saw myself in the mirror on the outside of the closet door...I had to conceed yet again that Maria was right. I had curves that I hadn't noticed, grooves and shapes that appeared somewhere between puberty and now that never came to my attention.

Even the off-red of the dress complemented my skin tone, shaped me, and hightlighted areas to the point where I, none-too-modestly, almost whistled at myself and dove under the covers at the same time. I mean...Thrax never allowed me to wear anything like this, not that I'd ever wanted to, but...still...

"Da. Yum. Ozzy might have a nucleus attack before we even get Strep!"Maria joked, and I found myself smiling, too, turning to her and seeing her look me over.

"Nah, you need to change those shoes. This is more of a hard rock joint, but sneakers still ain't matchin' with that. Hold up."She said, jumping off the bed as I slid of my shoes and socks, Maria re-emerging with a pair of black wedges with red straps.

"How do you have all this black and red stuff?"I asked, taking the four/five inch wedges and slipping them on.

"There was a sale at Hot Topic, now can you walk in those?"She asked, and I strapped them, saying,

"Please, I might have grown up around a boy, but I had my fare share of heel-endeavours." I remembered sneaking on heels when Thrax was busy, finding them in small shops or in the empty places we set up base. Over the years I'd become pretty damn good at wearing them, to the point where there was no doubt in my mind I could kick some serious germ butt.

"Alright then!"She exclaimed, standing up and pulling out a necklace from her purse that also held a mean-lookin' gun and a taser, the necklace a series of black wires in a choker-fashion. She reached over and clasped it onto my neck, pulling on her own pair of black-and-orange heels.

"You ready?"She asked, walking out of the room with me and opening the front door.

"Yep!"I exclaimed, feeling lighter now that I at least made a new friend, though it felt like more of a sister-friend relationship. We walked down the stairs no problem, relaxing that I hadn't fallen out of practice with wedges, and soon we reached a nice, orange car. Before I could move to the passenger's side, Maria tossed something shiny at me.

I caught it quickly, looking down worriedly to see what she'd thrown at me...

"What?"I asked, wondering if she were serious. But Maria was already in the passenger seat, slamming the door shut as I timidly opened the driver's door, sliding in and slamming the door shut as I took the keys she'd thrown at me and placed them into the side of the wheel of the car.

"You sure about this? I mean, I've driven, but-"

"Hey, don't sweat it! Figure you need a little driving to get rid of your stress!"Maria said airily, and I sighed. She clearly didn't know my driving ability. Before I pressed the gas, I reached over and buckled Maria, seeing her confused look as I placed my hands on the wheel and took a deep breath, sitting back in the seat and warning,

"You're gonna need that."


	10. Strepfinger

_-Sorry for the delay guys, had a ton of work to catch up on. Hope you enjoy!-_

_~Ann~_

"...Well...it could definitely have been worse..."Maria managed out in a shakey voice, looking at the aftermath of what I would fondly call the seven circles of hell that I'd just put us through. I hung my head and frowned, twiddling my thumbs and offering,

"Yeah...sorry about your car."

"Please, that Prius is the one we gotta worry about."Maria mused, looking on at the poor, teensy little vehicle that I honestly hadn't seen, now squished underneath the car that I'd driven...no, driven wasn't even the correct term for what I just did. Maybe completely turned into a high-speed death-machine was a better term, looking at the smoke and ripped-up pavement that led a more-than-suspicious trail right to the shockingly unharmed car.

I knew Maria was just trying to be nice, but the only thing that I really care about now was that A)we'd survived, and B) she'd drive back.

"Well! Let's just forget about that for now, huh? We've gotta go meet up with the guys, if they haven't killed each other yet."Maria mummbled the last part, walking past me as I quickly followed, the strip of street we'd 'parked' on going down past where I could see. A few apartements ahead of us, the Blackhead Bar blasted music from its spot on the left side of the street, a massive, black, cicular-like structure connected to the side of the interior part of the nose. It had, from an amature's point of view, badass electric guitar riffs screeching out of the interior, the music so loud and intense that it made the building pulsate and those waiting in line have to shout to be heard.

"This line's pretty long, will we even make in in time chica?"Maria asked worriedly, and I smiled, relaxing finally as I mused,

"Don't worry. We'll get in." Even if I have to splatter that bouncer on the sidewalk, only having to take one look to know that he was a Bronchidis Virus, figuring that Hector didn't need anymore stress though he had no idea the kind of danger he was in. The large, overly-muscular germ stood intimidatingly in front of the door, talking gruffly and angrily to a guy and his girl, both with shaved heads. I took a moment to relax in the fact that Maria had been right about the dress code, the girl wearing a too-tight, too-low tank top and a skirt so short it might have been a rubber band.

"Glad you changed now?"Maria asked, as I looked ahead and saw Ozzy and Drix walk out of an alley across from the club, arguing, with an apathetic and annoyed-looking Thrax behind them. I felt my smile slip a bit, and Maria must have noticed, because as it did she followed my line of vision. Something inside of me twisted a bit, but I tried to focus on the fact that Thrax hadn't tried to kill me, and that after this he'd be out of Hector and out of my life.

Just get this over with, and that's that.

"C'mon girl, let's go show our guys what we've been hiding, ai?"Maria tried, and all at once I smirked again, seeing the oblivious guys standing a few yards ahead of us, dressed normally. I nodded, and took a step, but Maria's hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"What's up?"I asked, turning as she quickly reached up and, without asking, smoothly removed the band in my hair. I frowned and reached a hand instinctively back, feeling the dreads on my shoulders as she simply smiled and placed the band in her purse, winking as she said,

"Guys dig the hair-down look, chica, trust me." I felt myself blush, and turned away so that she couldn't see it, thinking about Ozzy and how Maria saw us together, not fully able to believe it still and thinking that this would just be a little game, nothing more. Afterall, Ozzy was my friend, and the chances of him seeing it as anything other than that were slim to none. I was a virus, for Hector's sake!

So we walked, the guys only noticing us as we walked right past them in the coolest way possible, me saying jokingly,

"If you guys kill each other before we even get in there, who's gonna pay for pizza later?"

The guys didn't respond, only seeing Ozzy look over and about to retort something smooth, when his suave-looking face fell so hard his jaw dropped comically low and his eyes widened, Drix stiffening as Thrax, only catching him for a second, slacked his face so much that his shades fell a bit down and showed wide, borderline-angry eyes. I didn't want to say that I got some satisfaction from making him angry, from walking past and half-blushing at Ozzy's gaze as he gulped and half-hearing Thrax turn to the two boys and growling low,

"Who let her dress like that?"

...But if I said it, I'd say that it felt pretty damn good, if only it were to let him know that..I wasn't his little girl anymore. Not only because I'd grown up, but because I was my own independent person now, and he'd lost all right to call me what he used to.

"Told ya."Maria said quietly in my ear as we turned and approached the Blackhead Bar, me in front of her as I decided on a variety of ways to get into this place without waiting in the line of people who eye'd us suspiciously as we walked right up to the bouncer. And by 'variety of ways', I meant that if the first one didn't work, then he was going down the drain in a puddle of blue, his skin a sickly-looking navy color and hair a frock of yellow in a small ponytail.

"Can I help you?"He asked in a deep voice, though he might be an inch or two taller than me. I smiled, hearing the guys catch up to us and whisper something to Maria, who replied with,

"Don't know, just let her do her thing."

"Just wonderin' if there was anyway to jump the line. It's pretty long."I asked, half-smirking and raising an eyebrow, bangs coyly covering part of my eye as I placed one hand on my hip, the other brushing cooly through my dreads. I knew what I was doing, having seen plenty of women try(and usually fail) to be groupies, using the same method I was now using on Thrax.

The bouncer gave a cocky grin and crossed his arms, leaning down a bit, our faces too close for my comfort but putting up a front of not caring, still giving him a coy look.

"Is that so, pretty lady? Now I'm afraid I'm not allowed to do that."He said smoothly, and I rose my eyebrow a bit more, asking innocently,

"We can't negotiate?" Something passed across the man's eyes, and he tilted his head a bit. I felt Thrax's eyes burning holes in the back of both our heads, which only added to my confidence as I tensed on of my arms.

"What kinda 'negotiation' you got-argh!"He cut himself off as I slammed forward, knocking him to the wall of the club with my left forearm and pinning him there with what most saw as super-strength, bringing my right-hand nails close to his face and lighting them, glaring daggers at the creep and getting close again. His eyes were wide, body shaking and sweat forming on his head after not only not expecting this, but also my strength and the hot nails precariously close to his face.

"This negotiation enough, big boy?"I asked angrily, and the others in line gasped and jumped back, my little group pressing closer in case anything happened. But, with the utter terror in the man's face, things were going excellent. He gulped and nodded shakily, me smiling icily at him and grabbing the collor of his wife-beater, throwing him to the ground next to me and saying,

"Thought so."

"Whooo! Ann-girl strikes again! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout."Ozzy exclaimed, walking up and once again acting smooth and cocky, but as I looked up at him with Drix rolling his eyes and Thrax eyeing the man and me with amusement, I could see a bit of...something else in his eyes. Something I couldn't place.

"C'mon, we have to split up and find whatever hole Strep's meeting in."I said, Ozzy streaching his arms and saying,

"Leave it to the Oz, Ann girl." I rolled my eyes as he went in, the door moving like a membrane to allow for him and Drix to walk in, Maria stopping Drix for a second and asking, almost how I was asking with that man who now cowered on the ground but this time real,

"How about we look together, huh? Just in case." I'd never seen Drix blush deeper in my life, him barely able to stutter out and agreement as they both entered together. I leaned against the door, turning to go in, when his voice stopped me.

"Someone all grown up, huh baby?"He asked, and I glared darkly, looking into the mosh of people on the darkened dance floor, tough and tatted cells sitting at the bar and looking hungrily at the women dancing, a moshpit somewhere up ahead where the Kidney Stones were tearing up some high-paced, grit-voiced song. Eyes narrowed and face dark, resisting the sadness and anger inside of me, I muttered out darkly,

"No thanks to you."

I saw him stiffen a bit out of my perifrial vision, but I ignored him as best I could and made my way onto the dance floor. The second I entered what felt almost like another world, I fell into the hard rhythm of music and shouting and moshing and people pressed tight and hotly together. I didn't dance, just floated unnoticed around couples and singles and fights and shouting. It was...relaxing, in a way. Just a chaotic mess that was too loud to have anything else penetrate it.

Looking around, I saw a flash of Ozzy's face as some girl gave him a flirty eye, something in my chest tightening in anger that I didn't understand, wondering if maybe it was from my conversation with Thrax. What reason did I have to be angry at a girl I didn't know? Definitly not because she was flirty with Ozzy! He did that all the time...but none of the girls had ever shown any interest, except maybe Leah at times but she was way back in Frank...

I wanted to shake myself, to remember that Maria's words might not have been true, despite Ozzy surprised and nervous face when he saw me, the blush I'd seen crawl across his face, the odd something in his eyes...and the good feeling it gave me, wanting to move over to him and...

"Daydreaming, beautiful?"

It was a voice that instantly made my skin crawl, made my heart stop in shock and utter dread, and brought hundreds of questions to mind. A familiar voice, but not one I'd heard anytime soon, right in my ear as two arms warpped themselves around my waist and resting a chin on my shoulder, slowly moving us to the now-slightly softer rock ballad invading the spaces between the tightly-packed crowd. As much as I wanted to rip this man's face off bit by bit and feed it to street scum, I instead played it cool.

Something told me that him being here, finding me, wasn't a coincidence. And I wouldn't put working for Strepfinger above Ebola.

"Ebola, didn't want to see you here."I mused cooly, feeling a lock of his ponytail fall onto my ear as he said calmly, too-closely,

"Ah, sweet as always Ann. Sticky-sweet." His voice was smooth and articulate, and yes he might be attractive, but I couldn't get past his oily personality and peristant nature.

"As sweet as I can be around someone I kinda hoped was dead, Ebola. How come you're here, anyway?"I asked, getting right to the point and making this encounter as short as possible, feeling him chuckle against my back.

"Aww, now Annie, you don't want to just stay like this for awhile? I find it kind of nice, without that ass of a brother you had, to be able to spend some time around my favorite girl. And damn, did you grow up in the years we've been apart. Nice dress."He purred, and I quipped back quickly,

"We were never together in order to be _apart_, Ebola. And what makes you think Thrax _isn't _ here, huh?"

I felt him stiffen, and my smile grew wider as I pressed on,

"So I'm gonna ask you again, before he sees you and beats you like a dog for the second time, what are you doin' here so close to Strepfinger's gang, huh?"

He was quiet for a second, chuckling again, but this time darker, his voice now more buisiness-like and dark.

"After your bitch of a brother beat me half past mitosis, Strep picked me up for his gang. He's been keeping and eye on you, dear, ever since you decided to mess in Immunity. He sent me to get you, wants to meet the girl who beat his gang's ass face-to-face."

So Strep knew we were here? That sent a shiver down my spine, made my stomach clench a bit as I thought about the others around here, if they were safe and if there were anymore men hidden inside this bar. Ebola must have sensed my fear, because muttered next, more confidently,

"Don't worry, you're the only one he's interested in. Your little friends are safe...for now." I grit my teeth and finally broke free from Ebola's arms, turning towards him and seeing that he hadn't changed one bit, still smiling down at me with the face that made the women around us eye him hungrily, me having the exact oppisit reaction.

"C'mon then, where's the big guy hidding at, hm?"I asked, this time with real confidence, just aching to get my hands on Strep and whipe him out of Hector for good. Ebola cocked an eyebrow and stepped forward, placing a hand on the small of my back and turning me, leading us away from the envious-looking women and around the massive moshpit at the front near the stage, one germ getting punched so hard his jaw went the wrong way and he fell to the ground.

We walked to an area tucked almost behind the stage, the music so loud that I barely heard it when Ebola leaned down in my ear, openeing the door to a pitch-black room,

"I really do wish we could have had that first date."

Before I could realize the obvious, that this was a trap, I was shoved into the room and the door slammed shut behind me, everything pitch black as the first pair of hands grabbed onto me. I shouted out a string of curses that would have made even Thrax surprised, turning and throwing whoever touched me into what sounded like a wall, another pair of hands around my waist and slamming my heel into the foot of the man who let out a grunt, spinning and kicking him to the ground.

But as good as I was doing right off the bat, soon there were too many hands, too many arms, and too many angry voices to be able to fight them all off. Four hands grasped my arms so roughly I cringed, massive arms around my waist and one man holding onto each leg, keeping them grounded as I heard Ebola's laugh off to my left, struggling against the too-strong, too-many arms and hands holding me back.

"Strepfinger!"I shouted angrily, and a creaky, slimey-sounding voice asked from in front of me,

"Yes?" Instantly, almost as if the words were the light switch, the lights came blindingly on. I cringed, blinking a few times in the harsh light until I got used to it again, looking around sharply and feeling anger and dread twist in my gut. Great. Just great. You see Ann? This is what happens when you try to act tough.

I had five massive germs holding me back, standing in front of the door of a medium-sized, silver-and-black room with a massive black meeting table resembling the one Thrax used back in Frank off to my left, Ebola standing in front of it with his hands in his black jean pockets, giving me a victorious, cocky grin. But I barely saw him, because standing right in front of me and looking like a massive booger, grey folds of skin under his chin and sagging on his face, a belly to rival old Chief's, dressed in a purple tuxedo with sickly-looking pink eyes and a bald head, possibly the most revolting thing I'd ever seen in my life...

Was Strepfinger himself.

I felt my body tense, the men around me tightening their grip as anger boiled in my veins, gritting my teeth and wanting nothing more than to jump and beat this man until he was gone, gone, and gone.

"So, you mean to tell me that this, this...little girl, is Ann?"Strepfinger asked, and I restrained myself from spitting on him. He paused, looking me up and down in a way that made me want to crawl away and kill him at the same time, then mused oily, stroking one of his many chins with a sausage-like finger, "Although, in that dress, I must admit that she doesn't look as young as she must be."

"Creep!"I spat, his face not changing from a confident smirk.

"Aw, now now, I've been called worse by my own dear mother. If you're trying to upset me, you'll have to try much harder."He insisted calmly, and I seethed as I snapped back in a calmer tone,

"Upsetting you doesn't even begin to describe what I'll do once I get these idiots off me." Something in Strep's eyes glittered as he smiled wider, clapping his hands together and saying in an amused tone, eyes still on me like I was his seventh meal of the day,

"Oh, Ebola, when you said this one was amusing you weren't lying. But dear, a fight is the oppisite of what I'm looking for out of this meeting of ours."

"Really? Well that's unfortunate, because I was planning on painting the walls with your face!"I snapped, and again Strepfinger did nothing but laugh. He was confident, thinking that I actually could get out of this hold I was in...and okay, maybe it was iffy, but if I really tried there was no way I was letting a group of germs take me down. The only issue was fighting them off as well as capturing Strepfinger, knowing that a guy like him had a way out no matter what, or else he wouldn't be so smart as to run a massive gang like the one he had, knowing that this couldn't be all of them.

"Oh dear, you haven't even heard my proposal yet. Now be good and listen, while I tell you the story of the greatest take over of a body in medical history, hmm?"He mused, and instead of spitting a string of insults at him, I instead stayed silent. His words rang in my ears, and suddenly I realized that we'd never actually looked into what Strepfinger was actually doing. We never thought, what if this wasn't just a string of bank robberies?

What he said made me suddenly silent and curious. That was something I realized from being around major crime bosses: They loved to brag. If I let Strep brag enough, maybe, even if he got away now, we'd still be able to intercept him.

"Goood,"He cooed, and then continued in almost a euphoric tone, as if telling the story of a sucess that hadn't happened yet. "Ann, what I am about to do to this body will make what you and your brother once did seem completely useless. Why, you might ask? I used to think of destroying bodies, to get the respect and power that came from something like an epidemic or a plague, or an incuable desiease. And then I wondered to myself: What's the point in being the most powerful virus ever known to man if the body that you can rule is dead?

"That's the thing, Ann!"His voice rose, his sick excitement twisting in his eyes, "The body can't die, that's no fun! Then all I have is to move onto another body and do the same thing over and over again. Far too easy, far too dull, far too pointless. No, what I'm going to do is keep this body alive, dear girl. Oh, so _alive_ , and completely under my control."

I felt a chill run down my spine at his words. This man wanted to take over Hector? He either had a very good plan, or was just plain insain.

"I'm going up to the H-Gland, and taking a leaf out of your book by stealing one of those precious little beads."He explained, and I rolled my eyes.

"I don't know if you noticed this, but that really _will _ kill the body."

"Ah, ah, ah,"He scolded lightly, shaking a finger at me like I was a child, "No interrupting, Ann. But, to answer your question, I'm not going to keep the bead out of the gland for long. No, quite the oppisite really. I'm merely going to use it as ransome, threaten to let the body burn if they didn't turn it all over to me, everything from the brain to the scraps of trash on the street! All of it, Ann. All the cells. All the information. But, wait for it...all the _power._

"To rule an entire body, not like a mayor, more like...like a _king!_ Yes, I'll be a king, and Hector will be my kingdom. Imagine that power, that wonderful, beautiful power that I'll posess rather shortly."He finally stopped, as if savoring his own words. The silence drew on, and finally I was fourced to speak up,

"...Why are you telling me all this?"I asked, thinking that, if he was truly serious, then why would he tell an immunity cop? His eyes narrowed greedily, and he stepped closer, so close I could smell his cheap-cologne stench, doing all I could not to gag on the potency of the fumes. He took my chin in a greasy-feeling hand, skin crawling and body tensing, wanting to hit something..._hard._

"Dear,"He said quietly, breath in my face and making me almost vomit, "I want you on my side. Imagine! One of the strongest female viruses, alongside the future King of Hector? Now doesn't that sound appetizing?"He asked, and it actually took me a moment to process his words...

And once I did, I realized that yes, Strepfinger was a mad man. So mad that it actually made me laugh, his smile remaining as he raised an eyebrow. I smirked up at him, a smirk full of venom and hate, as I spat,

"I'd rather take a bath in Antidote then join you, pig." And as I finished, I literally spit right in his face. He jumped back, pausing a moment, and then slowly whiped the spit from his face. As he did, he sighed and shook his head, shaking it off his hand and musing,

"In that case, Ann, I'm afraid your wish will be fulfilled."

I felt something hard shoved onto the side of my head, and didn't realize it was a gun until I heard the man holding my arm cock it. 'Your wish will be fulfilled'...Goddamnit Ann. This is why Thrax always did the talking! The antidote-filled gun was pressed harder to my head, and I inwardly cursed, wondering in vain if I could somehow attack before that trigger was pulled, before something happened that not even the hottest heat could fix.

Almost instantly I realized that, even if I could get one of them off, the gun would go off before I could do more than bruise someone. Spit, and I was so damn close too! Strepfinger was literally _inches _ away from me, and I screwed it all up! I screamed in my head at myself, but outwardly I glared so hard at Strepfinger that I expected him to burst into flames. Instead, he merely straightened his streached-tuxedo and motioned for Ebola to follow him.

"You now, Ann, we really could have made an amazing team. Too bad, I do hope your friends have better sense than you. Come Ebola, we have other matters to attend to."He mused, walking towards the wall to my right as a passage opened up, Strepfinger walking through as Ebola gave me one last smirk.

"Goodbye, Ann. I'll send your brother your regards."He said airily, before exiting. The wall closed behind them, and out went my last chance of being on Immunity.

The gun was pressed harder to my head and I closed my eyes, body tense, waiting for the pull of the trigger and the agonizing cold again, just waiting for it, hearing the squeak as the trigger was pressed lightly...

"Hands up, _culos!_ "A beautifully familiar hispanic accent shouted, and the man holding the gun moved his arm to look behind him. I took the chance before anything could happend, ripping my arm from his grasp and slashing it down his chest with lit-nails, the man screaming and falling as the others began to panic and shout. With him gone, and Maria ripping the man holding my waist off me with surprising strength, I turned and threw the man holding my right leg through the wall in front of me.

The men holding the rest of me instantly let go and made a run for it. Maria, who'd knocked out the biggest of the germs, slid in front of the door and crossed her arms, smiling at them as they stopped.

"Don't think so, boys."She said happily, and I jumped up from behind them, lighting the nails on both my hands and sinking them into the men's shoulders, throwing them backwards with all my strength, landing in front of Maria as their screams became gargles until it was all silent, my adrenaline pumpin and nails un-liting, shaking the gunk off my hands and about to wrap Maria in a hard, tight hug, when she said nervously,

"...Uh...Ann...is that good?"

I turned, curious as to what she meant, and paused. My face remained calm, but inside I was freaking the hell out. The black lava-like substance that had infected the now-dead germs spilled onto the floor. And as it did that, it began to ignite. Which turned into a fire. Which, quicker than I remembered, ploomed up and quickly swallowed half the room, still moving at a rapid pace. Right at us.

"Maria."I said calmly, taking her hand in mine.

"Yeah?"She asked.

"Run."I deadpanned, and spun on my heel, dragging her behind me as I flew out of the door and ripped across the dance floor, panicked and adrenaline-filled as the fire behind us began to rage, unknownst to those dancing at the moment.

_~Thrax~_

"Where is she, Jones?"I demanded, stepping closer to the cocky-ass cell in front of me. I'd seen him, that Ebola asshole, walking through the crowd of hot and close people, and with my little girl walkin' around in those threads...it made my blood boil just thinkin' about it. Jones huffed, glaring at me as he exclaimed,

"Yo, if I knew you think I'd be chummin' it up near you? Trust me, I'd rather dance with Drix here than spend another second around your red ass!" The pill next to him was about to say something, but before he could a noise pulled our attention from each other. I looked over, seeing none other than Ann running towards us, that hispanic Immunity cop in tow.

Instantly I knew something was up. Ann had a look of panic on her face, and my thoughts settled instantly on Ebola, ready to light him up like a Christmas tree, when Ann got closer and didn't slow down, saying something quickly and panicked as she ran damn fast in those heels...

"...Getoutgetougetoutgetoutgetou t!"She exclaimed, sprinting past us in a blur. I paused, face falling as an all-too familiar scream sounded, along with a glow. The two idiots turned their heads, but I knew what was up.

"...She set the damn club on fire, didn't she?"I asked tiredly.

"Yep."The two said at the same time, and before they could finish I was already hauling ass outta there. The fire wouldn't hurt me, but remembering the Zit put a bad taste in my mouth, and I didn't want to take no damn chances. Shoving through people, I made it to the door, Jones and Drix behind me as I burst out the door just seconds before a loud 'boom!' rang out, shaking the apartements and throwing all of us forward.

I landed hard on my shoulder, rolling until I could get to my feet again. Standing up, only one thing was on my mind, something that might hate me with a painful passion, but something I'd lost and never wanted to lose again. I looked around in a panic, knowing Jones couldn't see while he ate a face-full of cement, until I found her.

I let out a breath, smoothing back my dreads as she stood with that other cop, shaking her head and sighing as people screamed and ran from the inferno-like club.

"Yo, Ann girl!"Osmosis shouted, picking himself up quickly and sprinting over to her, hugging her suddenly and making me twitch in anger. Not only was that dress the last thing I wanted to see on my baby sister, but Jones was the last person I wanted to see hugging her. Combined, I almost breached that 'contract' the snot-nosed mayor set up.

"Ozzy, I'm okay. Listen, we don't have much time, Strepfinger's planning on invading the brain and taking over all of Hector!"Ann shouted, Osmosis stepping back as the pill picked himself up, musing,

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking." Ann ignored him as I walked silently forward, listening curiously as Ann caught her breath, checking her silently for injuries as the female cop asked,

"Wait, take over Hector? How?"

"He's going to hold one of those beads hostage until the city surrenders, one of the beads from the Hypo...hyp...hypathili...hyp-"

"Hypothalimus."I corrected, rolling my eyes while at the same time feeling the same amusement I always got when the word tripped her up. Now, though, she seemed pissed that I'd corrected her, and spit out the word,

"Hypothalimus gland."

"When's he gonna do this?"Ozzy asked, and Ann shook her head,

"I don't know, he didn't say, but someone's gotta call the mayor and place extra security on it tonight."

"I've got it. Ann, you go home and rest."The pill instructed, but a look of defiance crossed her face as she shook her head and said,

"I can't, Strepfinger-"

"Wont attack tonight,"The woman interrupted Ann, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Not until he gets the news that you weren't killed. Even then, he'll have to delay his plans now that you know everything. Go home, sleep, and we'll go at this thing tomorrow refreshed, alright?" Ann was about to argue, but even I could see how she was about to cave.

Finally, she shrugged and said quietly,

"Alright, fine. But tomorrow-"

"Tomorrow, me and you got a breakfast date. Then we go and beat up mr. Big-an-Bad, a'ight?"Osmosis mused, making me twitch in anger again, making Ann laugh in a way that made me bitter. Bitter because, as she walked away with the woman, she didn't even look at me. Bitter because I knew she didn't want to look at me. Bitter because I'd done that.

Bitter. Damn, I hated being Bitter. And as I watched her walk away, I thought about how...how much older the girl looked. How much older she acted. I'd always protected her like she would be a little girl her whole life, but now that she was out on her own...

Damn, she'd changed. And every moment that she got older, I was losing her that much more. And I wasn't one to lose somethin' easily. Especially not what was, even though she didn't think so, even though everyone doubted it, the most important thing in the world to me. My life.

And yeah, it was a fool's attempt to gain back what was already lost, but I had to take it. I couldn't let things end this way, couldn't let her keep thinkin' that she wasn't my only goal.


	11. Which Were The Lies?

_-Just so you guys know, we're winding down to an end. The next chapter will be the final one, with an epilogue at the end of it. If you have any requests for the epilogue, feel free to leave them in the reviews, I'm looking forward to reading them! Love you all-_

_~Ann~_

I pulled my knees to my chest as Hector yawned in his sleep, sending a gust of cold wind across the body and roof of my apartement. As the wind blew, slightly at an angle, a dread flew softly into my face and was quickly, expertly, caught by an unsurprising hand. I remained still as it was pulled back, the intruder moving in on what I was taking as a silent time amoungst the chaos, and put into a secure ponytail. No words were spoken after that, just a silent conversation as Thrax stood next to me, both of us looking out into the dark city view, the Hypothalimus somewhere above us, Strep out there somewhere...

And yet all I could focus on was was this one little roof and the man who stood silently beside me, as if all of our words had been spoken already. And in a way, they had. Whether they were screamed, whispered, or expressed by fource, everything had been splayed out as a mess that we'd made, a mess of a broken relationship. But still...it was almost as if everything had been said, but never the right things. Never the things we meant. Not one apology, not one bitter self-depreciating remark...never a good reason _why_.

And I wanted to know. I wanted to be proven right and wrong. It was the only thing still bothering me other than the memories of how things used to be. Why did he do what he did? And why was he doing what he was now? If I could get those answers, maybe I'd be able to finally move on...

But I sat. Silent, acutely aware of his presence beside me, with everything and nothing left to be said. And it was tragic, truley, that two people who used to be able to tell each other almost everything now weren't even able to utter one word to the other, though we both knew how much there was to be said.

I gripped my legs tighter, the hoodie blocking out most of the next chilling breeze, bringing with it apparently a new courage in Thrax, or some final resolution to end this ridiculous silence.

"No matter what I tell you, you ain't gonna believe me."He mused, and I sighed. Maybe that was true.

"It's just gonna be lies again, isn't it?"I asked quietly, so as not to sound harsh in the unusual quiet of the city. When he remained silent, I decided that my time wasn't worth wasting if I wasn't going to find the words to ask my question, and stood up. As I turned, about to climb back down the stairwell on the other side, he spoke one last time.

"Which ones were lies, Ann-girl?"

I clenched my jaw and my fists, because honestly...I didn't know. It was too messed up, too jumbled and entertwined and hazy and, and...I just couldn't do it. I couldn't think about it, couldn't worry about it. So I did what I did best: I left before things could get any worse.

Moving quickly, silently down the stairwell though I knew he wouldn't follow me, instead go off to wherever he stayed at night, I felt myself grow more and more tired. By the time I'd reached my door, thrown it open, and slammed it shut, I felt like a ton of bricks were tied to every limb on my body. Guess dying, coming back to life, having a mental breakdown, infiltrating a massive mob boss's meeting, setting a club on fire, and having yet another emotionally tolling conversation with my homicidal older brother in a 48-hour time span with a total of maybe 12 hours of sleep can really make a girl sleepy. Who knew?

I tiredly ripped off the hoodie, leaving the now-crop-top tank top that went just above my navel and jeans on as I flopped onto the bed and rested my head back, frowning and thinking. I wanted to sleep, there was nothing more that I wanted...and yet something was stopping me. Something was blocking the way, a thought, and at this point I was too tired to argue with myself that it was ridiculous. Lately, my entire life had been ridiculous, so it seemed only fitting.

I reached over and pulled the CD player onto the bed, fishing out some headphones from the drawr in the nightstand, and plugged them in. Once the buds were situated in my ears, I pressed play.

Silence, for just a moment. And when I knew it was coming, I closed my eyes.

_"Thrax, what's this one called?"_

_"C'mon, baby, you know these things don't need no names."_

_"I think it should have one. You have a name, don't you?"_

_"Almost makes me mad at our mother for not givin' me a bother."_

_"Liar."_

_"Now baby, I'd never lie to you."_

_"Yeah right."_

_"Dead serious, baby doll! How 'bout this: I'll call this little one you like so much Truth, huh?"_

_"..."_

_"Oh, now you don't got a comeback?"_

_"Just play, Big Brother."_

_"Haha, alright Ann-girl. But just for you."_

Click.

I took out the earbuds and half-heartedly tossed them and the CD player back onto the table, laying an arm over my face and sighing. As much as I hated to admit it, that did make sleep come that much easier, for no reason at all. Slipping me into a black rest, darkness and comfort wrapping around me, if only for the moment.

...

I wasn't sure what woke me up first, or how long I'd been sleeping, but almost as suddenly as I closed my eyes a tingling sensation ran over my body, pulling me urgently and groggily from sleep. My mind wanted to remain in a resting state, but my heart knew something was wrong, from a slamming of my door against the wall behind it to muffled, deep voices.

Finally, as an unsettling silence fell over the room, I managed to pry my eyes open.

And promptly wished I'd remained sleeping.

Five germs, each bigger and meaner looking than the ones Maria and I'd fought just yesterday, stood seethingly silent above my bed, one with a large brown bag fit for a person of my size, and the other ripping off a piece of duct tape, the others cracking their knuckles as reinfourcement. My eyes strayed past them, stomach falling in more annoyance and dread than fear, seeing Ebola standing properly and smugly in front of an open door.

I sighed tirely, then groaned out in utter defeat,

"I really gotta start locking that thing."

In a merciless swoop, everything went dark, my body torn from my bed and thrown head-first into a brown sack, body tumbling as the opening was sealed shut. I struggled, kicking and trying to get leverage in the awkward position, feeling the back rise as a familiar tone smoothed out from Ebola's voice,

"Well? We don't want her setting that bad on fire, too."

Oh no, that sorry mother ain't sayin' to-

A hard pressure, and then darkness. Again.

_-Osmosis Jones-_

"Yo, Drix, I told you I didn't steal your butter! Hector, I don't even cook! The Hector would I use butter for?"I asked the off-his-meds pill as he rummaged through my pretty much bare fridge.

"I don't know, and I don't _want _ to know, Jones."He mused, and it took me awhile to get what he said. I straightened up and frowned at him, shaking my head as I scolded,

"You nasty."

"Jones, can you tell me why your remote is in your fridge?"Drix asked in complete confusion, but I was nothing but immediatly excited. I jumped over to him and snatched the agreeably-chilled remote, turning and sprinting over to the TV.

"Yeah! I've been missin' this thing, wanted to show Ann the coverage of our bust last night on the 8 o'clock News!"I exclaimed, flicking on the screen and flipping to the channel... And feelin' my cytoplasm freeze in my veins. My eyes widened at the live news feed, not registering any voices, just the words on the screen and the faces from the shaky camera shot from the captive camera man.

That...but she was just above me in her apartement...how could she be...

In shock, I dropped the remote, Drix floating over and asking,

"Jones, what's..."He caught himself, looking at the screen and slowly taking an inhale of breath. "Oh dear Hector, Jones that's...that's Ann!"

I read the words, unable to do much more than that in my slowly un-numbing state. 'Notorius Crime Boss holding rookie Immunity officer hostage in return for the services of the recently-contracted viral agent, who goes by the name of Thrax.' There was more, I just didn't read it. Because the instant I read his name I snapped right out of it and everything became and instant blur.

"Drix! We gotta go!"I shouted, scrambling for my gun while tugging on my jacket and shoes, running to the door as my nucleus pounded and adrenaline pumped.

"Don't you think we should tell Thrax?"Drix asked as I threw open my door and sprinted at top-speed down the stairs, Drix rushing to keep up. I narrowed my eyes, something inside of me already knowing that answer.

"He's already on it. That's his sister, afterall."

_-Ann-_

My head throbbed, by my arms ached more in the hold of the two massive germs who I couldn't fight off even if I had the insanity to try, with Ebola's damn gun pressed to the back of my head and Strepfinger making his ridiculous demands into the camera of the poor, jittery camera man he'd kidnapped. The other germs were stationed in front of the massive column in the center of the room, within it a blue and slowly rotating double helix, beads of DNA inside there that were identical to the ones in Thrax's chain.

Massive windows behind me on the wall about five yards away were the only things signalling that officers were around, sirens blaring and yet no one daring to enter with the firm camera shot of the gun pressed to the small on the back of my head. I grit my teeth, listening as Strepfinger made the demand that I half-expected to be out of mockery, half-wondered if it were because he couldn't get the beads out of the Hypothalimus without him.

"I want you, Thrax. Your services in helping _me _ get what _I _ want, and then I'll give you back what _you _ want...if not...well, I'm afraid Ebola's trigger finger gets rather itchy if he's fourced to wait too long."Strep mused into the camera, me almost laughing and shaking at the same time. Thrax. He wanted Thrax to help him in exchange for me? It was laughable, if only it didn't mean that I was as good as dead.

Finally, Strep signalled for the man to turn off the camera, and the jittering white-blood cell quickly switched it off and backed away as far as possible. I glared, cytoplasm pumping hard in my veins as I, for the third damn time, tried to figure out a way to not be killed by an angry, homicidal virus. And, seeing as how I'd dried up my life-saving tactics, I fell back on the cliche method: Stalling. At least until Ozzy and Drix got here, which I had a feeling they'd fight through every damn cop and germ in the city to do so.

"Not your best plan, Strep."I mused, the germs tightening their grip and Ebola pressing the gun harder. I tensed my jaw as he did, the back of my neck actually feeling the bitter cold radiating off of the lethal substance shoved deep into the barrel. 'C'mon, Oz, Drix', I thought anxiously as Strep faced me with an amused face, 'Hurry up!'

"Oh? Says the girl being held hostage by the gang she was so sure she defeated. I must say, when I heard of your little stunt at the Blackhead, I was quite...upset. But it ended benefitting me, because all of that animosity I had towards you ended up birthing this wonderful plan, and I think it's quite a magnificent one. Hold hostage the virus that captured the city's nucleus with her inspirational story, force her brother to assist the boss of the virus he once pummeled into oblivion, and then in the end rule the entire bloody city. Now, I think that plan might be my best one yet!"He exclaimed, playing with a ring on a finger too large for it. I tried to bite it back, but in the current situation, the bitter laugh didn't want to be stifled. What was the point?

"Oh?"He asked, and for the first time I sensed a bit of anger and insult in his voice. That only added feul to my fire, maked me look up at him and laugh again, shaking my head with a smile on my face.

"One problem, Streppy."I mused, hearing a commotion outside and hoping that Ozzy and Drix were here. Strepfinger took another labored step towards me and held his hands behind his back, lips thin though he was trying to appear calm.

"And what would that be, little thorn in my side?"He almost spat, and I looked up at him with an amused, bitter look because of likewise knowledge.

"Thrax ain't gonna come."I said, and saw Strep open his mouth to say something with narrowed eyes, when we were interrupted.

"Sorry to dissapoint you baby, but Thrax is in the house."

To say that I was surprised would be a horrible understatement. To say that I had anymore words to say would be a giant lie. And to say that my nucleus didn't skip a beat would be a sorry attempt to keep my pride.

I looked over, nucleus stopping painfully in my chest and breath leaving me for a moment as I watched, head tilted to the side a bit, as Thrax walked around our little cluster holding me back and, with his shades on and as if nothing were wrong, lit his claw. He didn't even look at me, or stop to talk to Strep, though the rotund man spoke anyway,

"Ah, how touching to see a true sibling bond-"

"Thrax!"I shouted, cutting off Strepfinger as he actually walked towards the cylinder, the germs near it backing away with fear in their eyes, starring at the glowing claw. My stomach was in knots, and too many emotions were flying through me to accuratly identify, other than the fact that Thrax could not do this! "Stop it! If you do that, Strepfinger wins!"I screamed, fighting against the men and getting nowhere, Thrax stopping in front of the Hypothalimus for just a moment, claw a mear breath away from the membrane-like exterior.

I panted, terrified that he'd actually do this and that the city would have no choice but to surrender, confused as to why the hell he was saving me again! It just didn't make sense, and I wanted to just scream! Thrax paused, inching his claw closer now as he said, almost to himself,

"And if I don't, then I lose baby."

There was no time for questions, for stalling, or for the sudden realization that hit me so hard I couldn't breathe. Because, just as he said it, he plunged the white-hot claw into the Hypothalimus, twitching a bit as the entire outer membrane became stained with a veiny, ink-spill red, a massive hole around the claw disintegrating. I couldn't shout out, couldn't do anything but look in horror and shock as Strep got exactly what he wanted.

Thrax reached in, so reluctantly that it looked nothing like all the times I'd seen him do it, and pulled out a bead at random. Almost immediatly, the double-helix structure began to fall like someone had taken a log out of a link-n-log house, crashing and twitching without the structural integrity to hold it up. He turned, the black bead in his hand as he walked rather harshly over to Strepfinger and shoved the bead into the man's chest, a disgusted look on his face.

But Strep didn't seem to care, nor notice, because he simply held the bead up in his dwarfing hand, raising it up to the light with wide, greedy eyes and a twisted, gluttonish smirk.

"Ah...there you are, my pretty little thing..."He muttered, but Thrax didn't seem to want to stand and watch it, my entire being deflating in defeat.

"Let her go."Thrax demanded harshly, pointing to me with his chest facing me, face contorted in anger. Strepfinger lowered the bead, the gun on the back of my head leaving as Ebola walked over to Strep and dutifully took the bead in his own hand, holding it securely as Strep placed his hands behind his back.

And some horrible, horrible feeling settled in my gut.

"One thing you should know about me, Mr. Thrax,"Strep said victoriously, "Always get it in writing."

My eyes widened as Ebola took his aim. But it wasn't at me.

"THRAX!"I shrieked, yanking against the men holding me as he turned quickly and shocked to Ebola, just as the loud, Earth-shattering 'bang!' rang through my ears. Thrax's eyes widened and I heard myself scream again, but I couldn't quite place what it was. Maybe his name, maybe something else, but at the moment everything went...silent.

Silent, for one second. Thrax stepped back, eyes wide, looking down as his shades slipped slowly off his face and clattered loudly onto the floor. Looked down at the small, dime-sized smear of white, glue-like substance that burned right through his jacket and shirt. At the antidote, seeping into his body. And slowly, he raised his head, face shocked and furious.

And then he crumpled to the floor, and I heard myself screaming again, felt the angry tears making hot streaks down my face, felt the pain as if I were the one who had been shot by something ten times worse. Because he really was trying to save me. Because it wasn't all a lie. Because I'd found it all out too damn late.

"THRAX!"I shrieked again, by my voice was drowned out by the next massive bang, but this time not from the gun of Ebola. No, this time it came from behind us, and threw me forward and, as I quickly realized, out of the grip of the two men. I flew forward, landing suddenly and hard on my shoulder and skidding painfully in just my tank top, wincing as everything suddenly erupted into a frenzy of screaming, smoke, gunshots, and a familiar cannon.

I coughed, and then felt a painfully heavy weight on top of me, flipping me over and ramming a knee into my throat. I gagged, looking up through the smoke that made my eyes water(or was I still crying?..) and nose fill with dust, only to see the furious, crazed-victorious look in Ebola's eyes. They were wide, hair fallen partially from the ponytail and hanging in locks, teeth barred as he pressed a gun to my head, panting heavily.

"Oh, dear Annie,"He panted, laughing like a madman as I looked into his eyes. Into the eyes of the man who shot my brother. Who took whatever chance we had away, like it was nothing. Like it meant nothing. Like I wouldn't turn him into nothing. Like he was pinning my arms down.

I grit my teeth, suddenly a torrent of fury overcoming my body and a scream ripping out as I shoved a lit-nailed hand upwards, feeling it sink into something hard like his chest. And suddenly he didn't look so victorious afterall. His eyes widened, lurching forward as his entire body stiffened, the gun falling from his hand and clattering next to my ear. He shot Thrax. He killed Thrax. He killed my big brother.

"You deserve a _hell _ of a lot worse than this, you bastard."I whispered in a shaking, tear-filled, angry voice, feeling like everything in my chest had just broken and shattered painfully, leaving me empty and losing. With a gargle, red veins shot up this body, and I threw him off me as he let out a groan and a strangled cry, Ebola flinching and tearing at his clothes and skin when it was useless, when the veins completely took over his body and erupted in red, lava-like bubbles.

And I watching it all, climbing to my knees and panting and crying and a mess, watching as he came to a torturous shudder, the lava-like substance spreading until, in a sickening sizzling sound, he dissolved into what appeared to be a skeleton, and then that dissolved into absolutely nothing more than just a puddle on the floor. And then I looked at that for a moment longer, teeth so tight that I thought they'd break, that horrible image playing over and over and over in a horrible, torturous rhythm. Not the image of his death.

The image of Thrax. The image of Thrax styling my hair. Of Thrax smiling and laughing. The image of him singing. The image of Thrax fighting. Of Thrax holding me. Of Thrax teaching me to read a little bit. Of Thrax victorious. Of Thrax shot. Of Thrax...

Of Strepfinger.

Without needing to think, without rationalizing anything, just as the smoke began to clear, I whipped my head around and saw him making his way to the door in a waddle-like run. But I was ten times faster. So, so much faster. I was suddenly on him, slamming him against the wall, his tiny eyes wide and fat chins quivering as I pressed my arm against his chest, suddenly punching him square in the face.

He let out a cry, but I didn't care, instead shouting,

"You...you're not gonna walk out of here, Strepfinger, I fucking promise you!" I shrieked it, pressing him so hard against the wall that he gagged and struggled for air, eyes almost popping out of his head and pure, pure fear in his eyes. I was crying so hard that the tears blurred my eyes, holding my nails back in a claw-like shape as I lit them hotter and hotter and hotter, not wanting him to be spared anything at all. No pain. No freedom. No mercy.

"Ann! Don't do it!"Drix's voice from somewhere behind me, heard over my panting and pain. I didn't answer him, still glaring so hard at Strep that I hoped he felt it, hoped it hurt him almost half as much as I hurt right now, as I felt with having him, the only thing in my life I'd ever counted on and that I was about to get back, being ripped from me. All because of him. All because of Strepfinger.

"You don't want to do this Ann, let Immunity take care of him chica!"Maria, but I didn't listen, I just pressed harder, hoping I was breaking something.

And then another voice. Closer to me, filled with almost as much pain as I felt.

"Ann...I know he hurt you. I know..."Ozzy whispered, my tunnel vision letting up some, looking at this pitiful pile of fat and disgust and greed and evil, "Ann girl, trust me...I know...but killin' him ain't gonna bring Thrax back..." Maybe it was because Ozzy's voice sounded near-tears. Maybe it was because, of all of them...he actually achknowledged it first. Bring him back.

And to bring him back, he'd have to be dead in the first place.

I paused a second, looking at this pitiful excuse for an organism, and knew that Ozzy was right. Killing him wouldn't do anything. It would be hollow. It would be meaningless. It would be trivial, killing him when I could be with...

I stepped back, Strep taking in a deep breath that was cut short as Drix lifted him up with a super-like strength by the man's collar and slammed him against the wall with his cannon in the man's gut, holding him there with a pained glare. Ozzy's hand grazed my arm, but I didn't care. I turned and ran past him, looking around frantically for him, for where ever he was.

And part of me was expecting to see him standing calmly somewhere, fiddling with his glasses like he did when he got bored, smiling at me and calling me 'silly' for thinking that something like that could take him out. I half-expected that.

And then I really saw him.


	12. The Beginning of a Future

_-This is the end, and I love all of you for following it through to this point. You are wonderful people, and I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's one of those stories that just kills me to end, because though it was short it was wonderful, and I love you all for everything. So please, enjoy.-_

_~Ann~_

There are no proper words to describe the exact feeling of utter pain and regret that filled me as the world around me silenced, leaving only my shouts and tear-filled hiccups. There were no proper apologies for everything that had happened, and no one left to blame for them, anyway. But in this moment, crumpling to my knees and turning Thrax on his back, looking at the shut eyes and glue-like substance clotting on his clothing, I did my best to say things that didn't matter then, things that were said too late to mean anything.

"Thrax...I'm sorry!"I cried, fists dug so tightly into his jacket that I felt my nails through the fabric, throat aching and face chilled from the tears and hiccups that poured from me, the pain in my very being so much worse than any of that. It was empty. It hurt. Because I was looking at the man who protected me, my big brother, who even when we'd fallen apart still managed to protect me with his life. Unfortunatly, very literally.

And now he was gone. And I'd never gotten the chance to say all of the things that I wanted to, that I had to. He was gone, and I'd never see him again, and he'd never know how horribly sorry that I was. So why now, so pitifully and as if no one were watching, was I begging for his forgiveness?

"I'm sorry about everything!"I cried, shaking and voice catching, "I didn't mean it, not when I said that you were lying. I didn't mean it when I said that your goals were selfish! I didn't mean it, I didn't mean it! I didn't mean any of it, I was just scared and angry and I lied okay? I'm sorry I ever said any of those things to Spryman about you...You're not a liar, Thrax, okay? Happy now? You're not a liar, you meant it when you said you'd protect me and we can still be a team. We can...we can be a..."I couldn't finish the sentence, instead dropping my head onto his chest and shaking, taking in jagged breaths into my broken body.

No, he couldn't be gone. This wasn't what I wanted, not anymore. I didn't want him to leave. I didn't want him out of my life...

"Please Thrax,"I said quietly, voice shaking, "Please...you're the best big brother in the world." Why? Why couldn't I tell him these things before? Why couldn't I look past my pain and my pride and just tell him that I was hurt so much because he meant that damn much to me? That when he left part of me was ripped out? That I couldn't, despite everything I'd said, live without him? Because he was my big brother. Not 'was', still is...

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean any of it, I promise... So please, please Thrax...don't go big brother... Please! Thrax wake the hell up! You can't do this to me again! I need you, okay?...I didn't mean it...you can't go like this...I miss you..."I whispered the end, now just sobbing and shaking in pain. Horrible, horrible pain, because as I kept talking I knew, deep down inside, that it was falling on dead ears.

I rested my head on his chest fully and whispered in a bitter tone,

"Fuck, Thrax..."

"Lemme guess, you didn't mean it?"

If this was my mind going into shock and playing jokes on me, I hoped to everything that Ozzy would stop me now. Stop me, because I could have sworn... Slowly, almost as if I were afraid that if I moved too fast it would all dissapear and would really be just my mind playing creul jokes on me, I looked up. Before I could see anything, though, a familiar hand reached down and brushed my face, removing the chill of the tears on my skin and replacing it with the unnatural heat of his palm.

"Ahh, there we go. Now my baby looks pretty again." The hand moved away, and I felt every fiber of my being freeze and a shiver run up my spine in just...shock. Because...he was there. He was right there. I could feel him, moving up absentmindedly and brushing a hand through his dreads, eyes wide and mouth dropped open as I tried to process all of it at once. But that was him. It was his face, his sly sarcastic smile, his yellow eyes, the little eyebrow-raise.

"Baby, you're shakin' like a leaf,"He mused calmly, too calmly to be dying..."Someone gotta turn up the heat?"

"Thrax!"I shouted, not caring that everyone was watching or that it would make Thrax insanely uncomftorble in front of people, I flew down and wrapped my arms so hard around his neck that I heard him make a little choking noise, not paying it attention because I didn't care, because I just needed to feel that he was there. "H-how? I thought you..."I stopped, afraid I'd start to cry again even though every fiber of my being was light and bright and jumping and so damn _happy_.

"Gotta let go first, Ann-girl."Thrax choked out, and I instantly sat back, helping him sit up as he reached to the side of his jacket with the white antidote clotted and now dead on the outside of his jacket, turning a sickly grey that I hadn't noticed before. I almost flinched as he brushed it off, afraid it would really end up hurting him, but he showed no signs of pain. In fact, he looked fine.

I watched as he opened the side of his jacket and reached into where I knew the inner pocket was, right where the antidote had struck... And pulled out a metal guitar pick.

"Guess you saved me in the end, Ann-girl. Makes us even."Thrax mused nonchalantly, and I reached forward almost a bit numbly, taking the pick and just...looking at it for a second. This was the guitar pick that went missing after Ozzy brought my stuff to the hospital... I looked up at Thrax for a moment, everyone waiting to see what I'd say...

"You stole my guitar pick?"

"Yeah."

"While I was dying?"

"Yeah."

"You're one sick virus." He smiled a full-toothed grin and brushed my bangs out of my face, but before he could say anything a hysteric cry came from my right, and I looked over to see Drix squeezing Ozzy so tightly that Oz was turning red, crying harder than I had been.

"It's so beautiful! I just love happy endings! Oh!"He kept wheeping into Ozzy, who was shouting at him to let him down and struggling while Maria stood by them and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and muttering something in spanish. And I paused, looking at that trio that somehow made it this far. Together, we beat Strepfinger. We actually beat Strepfinger, who was currently being manhandles into a helicopter at the window behind us by Chief, who I hadn't even known had been here.

The wind blew my hair lightly from the helicopter, and I sighed, shaking my head at that trio of misfits. How we all made it out alive was a mystery I'd never solve, no matter how good of a detective I became.

"This is the group you're gonna roll with?"Thrax asked skeptically, and I sighed, smiling and resting against his chest, his arms wrapping around me lightly. And damn, it felt good to do this again.

"Yeah. Yeah it is." And then I paused, another realization coming to me that should have been sad, and it was...at first. But as I thought about it, it made more and more sense. I needed to learn to stand on my own in my own dream, and I couldn't ask Thrax to give up everything for it, even if that's what I had done. I couldn't put him through what I'd gone through...even if that meant leaving for a little while.

"You're not staying, are you?"I asked quietly, and while everyone was distracted, I felt him place a kiss on my head and drag his claw through my dreads.

"No, baby."He mused quietly, and I sighed. He paused a second, and then asked, "That make you sad?" I thought about it and, yeah. It made me a little sad, thinking about how much different things were gonna be now, but more than anything...

"No. I'm...excited. There's a lot ahead of us."I said happily, and after a few more seconds I moved, standing on my own and Thrax soon following. I looked from the trio to him, smiling and saying,

"If you wanna get out safe, you might wanna head out before Drix stops having a melt-down." He smirked and tilted my chin up with his claw, then winked.

"Give 'em hell, baby." He mused in his rhythmic voice, and quickly stepped back, moving silently and fast to the other window on the oppisit side of the room, me watching him the whole time, watching my big brother leave and feeling the sad twinge in my stomach become stifled by the excitement of what the future held for us. He got to the window and slashed it open, jumping onto the sill and pausing, for just a second, then looked back.

He kissed his claw, and held it out to me. I did the same with my nails.

Almost instantly, he was gone. Just a blurr of black and red, and then just an empty window and a smile on my face, wondering where we'd be the next time we met. After taking a few more moments in front of the window, I turned and spied something on the floor. And then let out a chuckle. I took a few steps forward and picked up Thrax's shades, sliding them securely into my pocket just as someone barreled into me and threw me in front of them as a shield.

"Yo! Drix! Get you big red self together!"Ozzy exclaimed, Maria now the one consoling Drix with a smile and a blush...

"Hey, Ozzy?"I said, thinking that if I'd just survived two near-death situations, then what the hell was there to lose?

"Yeah, what's up Ann girl?"Ozzy asked, and I turned to face him, looking up into that hansome face and getting that odd feeling twisting in my stomach again.

"I think I'll take you up on that date in the eye."I saw his eyes widen for a moment, and then I did something that, if Thrax had been watching, we both would have been skinned alive.

I reached up, grabbing the collar of his jacket, and pulled his face down to mine. I moved my face up and, in what felt like a jolt of electricity, pressed our lips together. A chill ran down my spine, but this time the good kind. The kind that instantly warmed and lit up my entire body, made me want more of this. And, apparently, Ozzy did too, because almost instantly he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and waist, pulling me so close to him that I had to move my arms around his neck, kissing me softly back and yet it felt like the most impactful feeling I'd ever get in my entire life.

Because I knew that this wasn't just a kiss. That somewhere deep down inside, this was gonna lead to something big.

"Ahem...well...that was...unexpected..." I felt a blush rage hot on my face as I slowly(reluctantly) pulled away from my first kiss and turned to see Drix coughing awkwardly and Maria whistling, Chief just staring drop-jawed and wide-eyed.

"Oi! Mayor's gonna be pissed!"Maria laughed, Chief just shaking his head and muttering something like 'Jones of all people' and walking away. Ozzy laughed next to me, a beautiful sound, and innocently took my hand in his, intertwining his fingers cutely, as if we were little kids and, to be honest, we kind of were on the inside. Maybe that's what gave us such a bright future.

_-Epilogue-Seven Years Later-_

_~Ann~_

"Ozzy."I urged, shaking the white-blood cell who slept shirtless in the bed in front of me, smiling at the still-warm feeling I got from seeing him sleeping so cutely, with his face a bit scrunched and arm under the pillow.

"Mph."He mummbled, and then rolled with his back to me. I rolled my eyes and sighed, placing my hands on my hips and looking down at him sternly.

"Ozzy. It's time to get up already, Chief's gonna have a fit if we're late to work again!"I scolded, knowing damn well that he was too stubborn to get up. He mummbled something incoherent again, and I sighed, running a hand down my face and checking the clock on the wall above the bedroom door, glad now that Ozzy decided to keep his apartement, yet wishing there were a window in this room so I could pull the shades and let the sun wake his sorry-ass up.

"We have one hour to get to the station, and knowing how long it takes you in the bathroom we're already late!"I tried, and when he continued to be an elementary-level child and pull the covers over his head, I couldn't help but smile and finally use a last-ditch effort. Quickly, I climbed onto the bed and, rolling him onto his back, straddled his hips.

"Ozzy! Wakey-wakey!"I shouted, and finally the full-grown man pulled the covers off his face and moved them down to below his navel, showing his blue, toned upper body that still, after all these years, made me blush like a little girl, but not nearly as much as that drop-dead adorable smile he had on as he squinted slightly in the light.

"Hey now, who is this vision of loveliness before me?"He mused cooly, and I rolled my eyes despite the smile on my face. I leaned down and he instantly wrapped his arms around me, feeling his muscles through the black tank top and nuzzling his face a bit before giving him a peck on the lips, a chill going down my spine as I smiled down at him and replied calmly,

"Your wife. Now get your ass outta bed." He threw his head back and moaned, though removing one arm and wrapping the hand around my fingers, his thumb playing with the blue-stoned, red-banned ring on my finger.

"But I don't wannna!"He whined, and I groaned tiredly.

"Osmosis Jones, get your blue-ass outta bed before I personally drag you into the station myself!"I scolded, and he pouted up at me with big, watery eyes.

"But baaaaabyyyyyy!"

"Ozzy! You're a full-grown man!"I scolded, and he nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck, shaking his head like a little kid. "Ozzy!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Osmosis!"

"Five more minutes!"

"You said that ten minutes ago!"

He continued to shake his head in my neck, and I was actually five seconds away from knocking him out and keeping good on my promise, when the bedroom door quickly opened and Drix floated in, reading a small box and asking,

"I wanted to make eggs this morning, but it appears as if you're out of- Oh dear Hector! I-I'm sorry! I'll leave, didn't mean to intrude!" He panicked, spinning around as I laughed and sat up, seeing Ozzy glaring and pouting below me.

"No Drixy, you didn't interrupt anything. Just trying to get my lazy-ass husband out of bed at the crack of noon."I spat back sarcastically behind me as I stood, hooking a thumb in my black, low-rise jeans. Drix turned back around, trying to become un-flustered and clearing his throat.

"Yes, you're out of eggs."

"We never had eggs. Make cereal."I mused tiredly, streaching and pulling my dreads into a ponytail, thankful that Maria had learned how.

"Better yet, make your girl choose an apartement faster so we can get your moochin' butt outta-" I turned around and pulled the covers all the way down, showing Ozzy's Hello-Kitty nightpants and making him freak out, jumping and falling hard out of bed as I scolded,

"Drix can stay here as long as he wants! Besides, he's moving in with Maria! That's a big step, and he needs friends to support him." Ozzy rolled onto his back and grumbled grumpily,

"You moved in with me no problem." I rolled my eyes and picked up a white shirt and familiar jacket from our nightstand, throwing them on his face and musing as I walked out with Drix,

"Believe me, there were problems!"I called back jokingly, entering the living room/kitchen area where Drix was busy preparing what now was brunch for everyone. I leaned on the counter outside the kitchen and groaned, rubbing a hand down my face again as Drix mused properly,

"Don't complain, you're the one who married him."

"I'm well aware, Drixy. And I still have no idea why."I yawned, resting my chin on my arms as my stomach growled, wishing Drix didn't take the time to measure out equal amounts of cereal for everyone.

"Because you love him."He threw back airily and nonchalantly, in a way only Drix could. I laughed and smiled softly, remembering the past seven years like it was seven days and at the same time seven centuries. There was a knock on the door, but I didn't pay it much mind, knowing it was probably Maria come to take Drix apartement hunting again. Hector, I'd been excited when Ozzy and I moved in together, but this girl was treating it like Disney World, free coffee, and a snow day all wrapped up into one.

I pushed off the counter and moved towards the door, throwing over my shoulder as I twisted the knob and opened the door,

"You got that right."

"Got what right?"

"Oh, nothing, just telling Drix how-"I cut off mid-sentence, eyes widening as I realized that that voice was definitly not Maria's. In fact, it was definitly not any voice I'd heard in seven years, and damn well not a voice I was expecting to hear for another seven, maybe. The shock struck me speechless as my head whipped towards the doorway and took in exactly what I hadn't expected to see.

"Miss me, baby?"Thrax asked, leaning against the doorframe with that smirk, those dreads, that coat, and those eyes. Miss him? _Miss _him?

"Thrax! What the hell are you doing here?!"But it wasn't angry, it wasn't even the least bit upset, because I'd exclaimed this while simultaniously throwing my arms around his neck and making him fall back a few steps in surprise.

"Woah! Damn, you gonna do that every time I show up, baby?"He asked, and I shook my head, still a bit shocked and elated to see him after all this time, stepping back into the apartement as he entered, too, nonchalantly shutting the door behind him. I looked at him quickly, nucleus recovering from the shock and excitement and yet still pounding faster than normal, seeing that he hadn't changed one bit.

"Seeing as how this is the first time you've dropped by in seven years, yeah."I deadpanned, and he gave a suave smile and a shrug,

"Been a busy man lately."

"Really? Haven't heard you name in the news lately."I teased back, and he was about to retort when I saw Drix out of the corner of my eye and we both turned our heads, seeing the clearly-distraght pill. I tensed, hoping that he wasn't upset because of Thrax, not when I hadn't seen him in seven long, long years... He threw up his hands and exclaimed,

"Great! There's no where near enough cereal to make FIVE equal bowls!" I relaxed, laughing and shaking my head, when Thrax asked curiously,

"Five?" I looked up at him, paused...and then my heart dropped in dread. That's right, Thrax had no clue how much had happened in seven years. And believe me, _a lot_ had happened...a lot that I felt bad about, because it was a lot that he had missed. A lot that I'd wished I'd had him there for, that I wanted him to see and know and be with me while it happened. I wasn't going to lie, not having him there during my wedding was...odd. I mean, I'd never expected to get married before, but I always assumed that if it happened that he'd be there, and that coupled with everything else...and I wasn't exactly sure how he'd take it...

"Oh, um, yeah...see...Drix lives with us until him and Maria find a place."I tried insinuating, and Thrax's eyes narrowed dangerously and suspiciously, leaning down a bit more as a cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck, stomach in knots.

"Lives with...'us'?"He asked slowly and darkly, and I gulped, laughing nervously and shrugging, waiting but his gaze continued, just as harsh and twice and suspicious, feeling like a kid with their hand in the cookie jar. Finally, I sighed, and decided that if Thrax had to find it out, better be from me and not the shock later on.

"Yeah...well...me and Ozzy kinda...live together now..." His eyes narrowed even further, this time in almost fury and shock, leaning even closer as I nervously rubbed my arm and chuckled feebly.

"Imma let you explain that later, but by my math that only makes four. Why'd he say five?"Thrax demanded. Great, now here came the _hardest _part, and I suddenly wished I'd reinfourced the apartement for the utter rampage that was sure to come. Damnit, I hadn't planned on tell him him this, just kinda hoping that I could put it off until..ya know...never.

But by the look on his face now, never was just a tad bit too long.

"Um, about that...Ozzy and I have a-"

"Is breakfast ready?"

A tiny voice interrupted me, and I instantly felt my nucleus lighten and a brightness come over the room, turning around and a beaming smile finding its way onto my face, as if all the bad stuff were just blocked out by this small, innocent little girl who walked sleepily from a door in the back of the room, rubbing an eye sleepily. She wore light green pajama bottoms and a matching hoodie, with beautiful blue skin and white hair in an absolute mess, which meant it had once again fallen out of it's dreads. But the best thing about the exactly three-year-and-four-month old little girl were the small, vibrant blue eyes looking groggily up at me and giving me a new light I hadn't even imagined possible.

"Vita, did we wake you up?"I asked kindly, kneeling down and holding out my arms to the little girl, who quickly walked over and wrapped her arms around my neck. I lifted her up, supporting her butt with one arm as I held her small frame on my hip, the other arm patting her back as she rested her head on my chest and turned her face to Thrax, me facing him with a mix of excitement and trepidation.

His face was confused and nonchalant, putting on his little act...for now.

"Who are you?"Vita asked innocently, hiding shyly against my chest as I couldn't help but smile at the little thing, patting her back and happy despite the nervousness that twisted in my chest as I looked slowly from her to Thrax, facing him as I said softly and delicatly,

"This is your Uncle Thrax."

I'd noticed that Drix instantly stopped his rapid breakfast perperations, stopping and looking at the scene in front of him, Vita oblivious and giving Thrax an innocent, sleepy, curious look. But I stayed focused on his face, which no matter how hard he tried, there was nothing that prepared him for the news I'd just dropped on him. After all, he'd just learned that his little sister had a daughter.

His entire face went slack, eyes widening like saucers and jaw dropping as a look of utter shock and maybe a bit of horror, a face that would have been comical if my stomach wasn't in knots of worry, loosened only by the little angel in my arms. Thrax just continued to look in shock at the little girl, as if she were something he'd never seen before and, to be honest, he hadn't. Not like I hadn't told Vita stories about him, leaving out all the bad parts, just telling stories of her brave, strong, wonderful uncle.

And now that she was meeting him, and I looked at my older brother with my child in my arms, I hoped she saw what I always saw. Of course, Vita was Vita, and she broke the silence in a way that only she could.

"He looks like you, Mommy!"She said happily, finally breaking out of her shy hiding place and sitting up a bit, smiling brightly at Thrax. And only Vita could have un-slackened that look on his face, making Thrax actually straighten a bit and give her a slightly more curious look, eyes still a bit wide but now more curious and surprised than horrified. Vita smiled wider and said in her teensy little voice, "Hi! My name's Vita!"

There was a pause, as if Thrax were processing what exactly it was that he wanted to do, but almost instantly afterwards he did something that both surprised me and made me breathe an almost audible sigh of relief. He held out his claw and Vita's eyes went wide in wonder, and Thrax leaned down so that he was eye-level with her.

"Hey there, baby girl. Ain't you a pretty little thing?" He was smiling. And it was that smile he used to use with me, almost like I was watching a scene from our past from the outside. It was a warm, playful, smooth smile that I couldn't forget if I tried, because...because it meant that he was looking at something he loved. And that realization as I watched Vita laugh and shake the claw like a hand, and as I watched Thrax continue to smile, looking at this whole scene here, everything felt so...amazing. Amazing because he was actually happy, and that Vita liked him, and that he appeared to like her, and...and the two most important people in my life were right here with me and smiling.

"Yo, Drix, you whip up some breakfast yet?"Oh, right. There's still one teensy little problem.

I turned, Vita struggling excitedly in my arms as I set her down instinctively, watching as Ozzy's entire face lit up in a way that, despite everything, made my nucleus jump and warm up, almost as if reminding myself that I did truly love this man. He knelt down and opened his arms, exclaiming,

"Hey there, kiddo!"

"Daddy!"Vita exclaimed happily, jumping into his arms as I froze guiltily, feeling Thrax's once-again wide eyes on me. I didn't move, wondering that if I stayed still enough he might not see me, knowing that Ozzy kinda just signed his own death warrent. Well, I didn't want Vita to be there for the horrible beating her father was about to endure, so I stepped forward and plucked the little girl from Ozzy's arms, turning and setting her in the direction of her room.

As I walked with her, I said kindly and in a voice that I'd had to learn from Maria, that motherly voice I'd never gotten,

"Go on sweetie, you can play with the boys after you get dressed and eat breakfast, okay? Auntie Maria's coming over later, too, so make sure you wear that shirt she got you, the one with the orange flower on it."

"Yes Mommy."She said tiredly, turning to me before I ushered her into the door and placing a kiss on my cheek. I smiled and leaned forward, rubbing my nose on hers as she giggled in a high pitch.

"Eskimo kisses!"I joked, and she pulled away running excitedly into her room to change. And I sighed. I stood, shut her door, and took in a deep, deep breath. Then turned.

To see Thrax throttling Ozzy against the wall. I groaned, Drix floating up next to me as he set up the table next to the kitchen.

"You had to expect something like this to happen."He mused, and I scratched the back of my neck, watching as Thrax tried to murder my husband by strangulation, shouting things at him that I really hoped Vita couldn't hear. And yet, as I watched this, I still had that light, wonderful feeling bubbling up inside of me. Because, yeah, Thrax was pissed. But other than that...this was a moment that I'd been looking forward to every year since he'd left. The year that he would come back and, for that period of time that he was here, he could see that I'd kept good on my promise.

Ozzy, Drix, Maria and I were the top detective team in the Immunity for the fourth year running, taking down over seven hundred criminals in seven years, not including the major crime bosses. I was married, happily and crazily, to Ozzy. I had a beautiful daughter. And hey, I'd only almost-died like twice since he left, and in my book that was a damn good record. For the first time, my life was wonderful. My life was exactly what I wanted it to be, though not what I'd expected it to be when it all began, eight and a half years ago in Frank.

If someone had told me I'd be standing here with Thrax strangling my husband because I had a beautiful daughter with an immunity officer way back when, I'd have probably backed away from you slowly. But not now. Because now, I couldn't imagine my life as anything better.

"You'd better stop them, or Ozzy might actually die, and he's the only one who knows how to fix the TV."Drix mused, carrying over some forks as I rolled my eyes. I walked forward, and once I got to the struggling two I paused, looked at Thrax, and shouted in my most stearn motherly voice that, to be honest, even scared me a bit,

"Thrax Bacillus Anthracis!"

Thrax froze, eyes wide in a guilty-look, Ozzy still struggling to breathe, and I placed my hands on my hips.

"Put. Him. Down."I ordered measuredly, and to my surprise, he actually listened, dropping Ozzy who barely landed on his feet and wheezed noisily, me walking over to him and saying, "Your timing is terrible."

"How was I supposed to know big red viral mother was back?!"Ozzy wheezed out, hand on his throat as he tried to straighten up.

"I'd watch it, Jones, seein' as how you...you..."Thrax couldn't even seem to find the words, instead just seething and glaring daggers at Ozzy to the point where Oz actually ducked behind me and hid, peeking his eyes over my shoulders as I groaned on the inside. I stood between them and looked Thrax in the eye, his eyes straying to me for a moment as I explained, letting a small half-smile slide onto my face,

"I'd like you not murder someone in my house. Drix just cleaned the floor." Thrax paused a second, and for a second it looked like he was going to say something important, but Vita chose to reemerge at that moment and sprint in a straight line to Thrax, me almost cringing a bit as she wrapped her arms around his leg...

But Thrax once again surprised me. And this time, it wasn't just because of how he acted. It was that...it seemed so damn natural. I wondered for a moment if he was just naturally drawn to protecting a part of me, or if Vita could naturally win people over, and as I thought about it more I realized that it was probably just a little bit of both. I was also perplexed and surprised to see him act as kind as he did in front of Ozzy and Drix, as if his facad was slowly starting to mean less.

He swooped down and lifted her up, Vita screaming in laughter as he brought her to his hip and smiled suavely, saying,

"Yo baby girl, you gonna just run into people like that?"

"Yep! Momma said that so long as I'm not in a car it's okay!"She said, giggling as I placed my hands in my pockets, smiling despite myself. Thrax's face softened, a smile and a familiar face as he said,

"Vita girl, you wanna hear 'bout your momma and cars, Imma tell you why you ain't never gonna get in a car with her."

"Thrax!"I scolded quietly, but Vita's eyes lit right up and she laughed excitedly, bouncing up and down as I quickly jumped into the situation, swooping past them and snatching my daughter in one swift motion, casting Thrax a scolding glare while he just gave me an amused look, saying,

"Story time comes after breakfast."

"Oh yes!"Drix exclaimed flamboyantly as I sat Vita down, "I made a wonderful breakfast of Mito-O's and strawberries!"

"Thank you Uncle Drix!"Vita exclaimed, Drix's face softening immediatly as he sat at his own chair, me just pulling mine out when I heard a loud crash. I turned my head, seeing Ozzy laying face-first into the ground and Thrax walking up, humming calmingly as I cast him a both angry and amused look. He shrugged and mused,

"What? Fool tripped."

I shook my head, wondering if Ozzy was even going to survive this visit.

_-Eight Hours Later-_

I leaned on the railing, smiling out into the night as sounds of Vita playing hide-and-seek with Ozzy, Maria and Drix discussing interior decorating(I couldn't decide who was more excited about that one), and Thrax taking turns telling Vita stories between her games with Oz. At the moment, it sounded like Oz had her, and I wasn't too surprised when the door opened and shut, a familiar presence leaning on the railing next to me.

"Surprise?"I asked jokingly, and Thrax scoffed.

"The last time I saw you you still belived in cooties, baby."He mused, and I laughed, shaking my head as he retorted, "Hey, let me believe that, a'ight? I just learned that my little girl has a little girl of her own. With freaking Jones..." I nudged him with my shoulder, quiet for a moment as I contemplated everything I had to say.

"Hey, I was as surprised as you were...would have been nice to have you at the wedding, though."I mused, and suddenly Thrax brushed a claw across my face, me turning and looking up at him and seeing a sad, regretful face, something twisting in my chest, not wanting to make him like this, just...just...

"I missed a lot, didn't I baby?"He asked quietly, and I offered a sad smile.

"Hey, you had a goal to chase."I reasoned, and Thrax took the hand back, smoothing back his dreads and turning away from me, out to the city as I looked at him curiously.

"Please...like I could do it without you."

And I paused, nucleus taking a lot longer to process the words than my mind, wondering if he meant what I thought he meant...if that was the explination for not hearing about him in the news...

"Thrax...what about your goal? The medical books?"I asked, and he threw me a raised eyebrow and small, almost nonexistant little smirk.

"Hey, what's some dusty old book mean when I have to spend years away from my little girl, huh? Wasn't worth it after the first three days."He explained, and I stepped up to the railing, mind reeling, wondering if this was all some big joke that I wasn't in on. Thrax? Saying that it wasn't worth it?

"But...Thrax...wait _what_?"I asked, incredolous, Thrax rolling his eyes and asking,

"Yo, don't you get it Ann girl? Hector, you're the one who figured it out long before me! Took your big brother a damn good time to wrap my head 'round the fact that it don't matter what I'm doin', so long as I'm protectin' you. Only stayed away for seven damn years cuz I had ta let you make a place for yourself. Didn't know you'd go and make babies with Jones!"

"Thrax!"I exclaimed, face shooting bright red as I began to wish I'd never asked, wanting to bury myself in some sand for the next year or two...and then I thought about what he said before that. Mind churning the words...and for a moment, I felt my nucleus stop. "Wait...Thrax, what you said...do you meant that..."I paused, blinking in confusion and shock.

Thrax straightened up, looking over his shoulder to the window where the shades were drawn, where Ozzy and Drix were throwing swatches of fabric at each other in anger with Vita and Maria sitting by and watching either amused or just plain tired.

"Hey, if I leave then Jones is poor Vita's only male role model. I can't leave the kid with..._that, _ just because you decided to go with Jones. Gotta teach the girl how to be strong."He mused, and as he talked a smile fourced its way onto my face, a bright and beautiful feeling in my chest as excitement bubbled up inside of me. Because as he spoke, the final piece fell into place, my nucleus was about to damn burst because finally, after Frank, after Strep, after dying, after every damn adventure I'd been through, this still wasn't the end.

"Yo girl,"Thrax said, pulling me from my thoughts as I looked up, us sharing a look between siblings that only we could, that only those who had been through what we had could, almost as if we were remembering everything that had happened in just a few seconds, over the past eight and a half years... "I'm proud of you, baby girl."He said, and I smiled softly, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug that he quickly returned. I nuzzled my face into his chest, saying quietly,

"Sap." He chuckled, pulling away and placing a quick kiss on my forehead and mummbling,

"C'mon baby, let's get inside before you catch a cold." I paused, asking,

"Hey Thrax...think you can sing Vita a lullabye tonight?" He paused, hand on the door, and his face was hidden from me but I could still detect a bit of a smile on his face.

"Gotta go find a place of my own, cuz I sure as hell ain't stayin' here with you and Jones and that damn pill...but I might have the time."He mused, and opened the door, both of us walking in and Vita jumping from Maria's lap to me, pulling me down to a sitting position and crawling into my lap, Thrax sitting casually next to me as Jones snuggled up to my side, saw Thrax's glare, and placed a few inches between us. Drix settled down on the arm of the couch, Maria jumping and landing in his lap, making him blush but still smile adorably.

"Momma! Can you tell me the story about when you met daddy? Pretty please!"Vita begged, and I tousled her hair, noticing that Thrax had put it into dreads.

"Sweetie, you've heard that one a hundred times!"I reasoned, but she shook her head and pulled on my shoulder, a pleading face on that I could resist about as well as Ozzy could resist telling the story about when he took down a cist in the liver(Which, by the way, wouldn't even have been possible if I didn't save him from getting digested just moments before). I caved, hard, and sighed.

"Alright, but then it's bedtime, understand?"I asked, and she nodded ferverently. I smiled and sat back, recalling the story as if remebering nastalgic old memories, from the nose to the Zit, and looking at all of the wonderful people I'd gathered along the way sitting around me, smiling too. And it was hard that, at one point, I'd believed that my life was never meant to be anything more than killing bodies.

"Don't forget the part where I woo'ed you in your wounded state."Ozzy swooned next to me, Vita making an 'icky' noise as I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Please, I was the one that made the soup that warmed her up, you just acted like a fool."Drix mused properly, and Ozzy popped the collar of his jacket, shrugging slyly and saying,

"Hey, it worked!"

"Momma! Keep going!"Vita begged, and I chuckled, looking down and saying,

"And then I was in these caves in the throat, and when I peeked around corner, there was this big red pill, and a goofy white blood cell." Yep. Those two that I once thought were a one-time deal turned out to be the two who completely changed my life. Gave me all of those amazing memories. Got me to this point right here. And no, this most definitly was not the end.

In fact, this was the beginning of a pretty damn exciting future.


End file.
